China has quietly added more Taiwanese pomelo growers to its approved import list, but Taipei says the move is political and leaves farmers exposed.

• China's customs agency added 79 more pomelo orchards and packing houses that can ship to China — every one of them in Hualien's Ruisui area.
• Taiwan's farm ministry says it got no notice through the official cross-strait channel and China has never explained what its approval or safety rules actually are.
• China banned Taiwanese pomelo in 2022 over claimed pests and pesticide residue, then reopened it selectively in 2024 while saying growers who back Beijing's political line are welcome.
• Pomelo is grown in Tainan, Miaoli and New Taipei too, but only Hualien farms made the list — a pattern Taipei reads as picking winners rather than trade policy.
• With no clear rules to follow, farmers take on the risk of a shipment being rejected at the border.

Outlook: Taipei will keep pressing China to negotiate through the official channel and open the door to all Taiwanese pomelo, while pushing farmers toward Japan, Singapore and other markets to cut reliance on China.