TAIPEI (BLOOMBERG) – If you are thinking of bringing mooncakes from China to Taiwan for the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival next week, it could cost you more than US$6,000 (S$8,300).

One Taiwanese national travelling from China, which has been hit by an outbreak of African swine fever, was fined NT$200,000 (S$8,900) for bringing in less than a pound (450g) of mooncakes without declaring they contained pork, Taipei Customs Administration said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 5).

Taiwan’s government has strengthened border checks running up to the holiday on Sept 13, traditionally celebrated by eating the pastry that is filled with a wide ranging of sweet and savoury stuffings, including pork.

Taiwan has banned pork products from China where an epidemic of the swine fever has led to the deaths of millions of pigs.

Taiwan is expanding the checks to passengers arriving from 16 countries and territories from Friday.

Taiwan’s largest airport, Taoyuan International, will screen carry-on baggage from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei even though there have been no reported cases of the fever in those countries.

The case bumps moon cake-related violations since Aug 1 to more than a dozen, according to statistics from Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine under the Council of Agriculture.

More than 850 travellers, mainly from China, have faced fines for bringing in pork products from pig disease-affected areas since September last year when the fine was set at NT$15,000, according to statistics from the bureau.

The penalty was raised to NT$50,000 on Dec 14 and NT$200,000 on Dec 18 in a bid to keep the island free from the threat.

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