Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), moved on Sunday to push for a referendum that could overrule the local authorities' decision to remove a ban on U.S. pork imports, which comes against the backdrop of rising hopes for a long-mooted free trade deal with the United States.

KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang, elected in March to help turn around party fortunes following a trouncing in January's elections, said the party would begin collecting signatures for a referendum to be held next August.

Around 200,000 signatures are needed to get the referendum approved and put to the vote.

"Starting next weekend on September 12, we will spring up everywhere, getting signatures from counties and cities, showing the will of the people through concrete action," Chiang told the party's annual conference in Taipei.

The KMT's move was triggered by the regional authorities' earlier decision that it would begin from next year lifting its ban on the import of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness, and U.S. beef more than 30 months old.

Easing those import restrictions is one of the current regional leader Tsai Ing-wen's attempts to boost ties with the U.S., especially at a time of tensions with the Chinese mainland. But the KMT says this could threaten the livelihood of the island region's hog farmers.

As pork is a favored meat among quite a number of Taiwan residents, hog farmers are bound to be hit the hardest by the entry of pork containing ractopamine, given that it is likely to be priced much lower than the market price.

The side-effects of ractopamine, which include the potential of causing damages to heart and cerebral vessels, along with the likelihood of importing bovine spongiform encephalopathy by allowing in U.S. beef more than 30 years old, have also raised food safety concerns for the broader public. Other countries and regions, such as the European Union, have a zero-tolerance policy towards the import of meat containing ractopamine.

In light of Tsai's new order, several KMT-controlled local authorities have declared they will defy the new order when the additive-enhanced meat is imported.

Tsai, who announced her decision to lift the import ban last week, has broken her earlier promise that she would only take action after consulting with the public. The decision is also a sharp U turn from Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) previous stand on the issue.

Before Tsai was elected into office in 2016, she had strongly opposed the import of U.S. beef and pork with ractopamine, but now she defies all opposing voices by simply issuing an administrative order to have the ban lifted, not even consulting the public, Chiang said.

Defending the decision, Tsai claimed it was in line with the region's overall interests, as it will be an important start for economic cooperation with the U.S. at all fronts.

Both the KMT and the DPP have long sought a free trade agreement with the United States, but Washington has complained about barriers to access for U.S. pork and beef.

Bilateral trade between the U.S. and Taiwan region last year was worth 85.5 billion U.S. dollars, with the U.S. running a 23.1 billion U.S. dollars deficit. Taiwan was the U.S.' 14th biggest export market in 2019.

The two sides are expected this month to start high-level economic talks in what could be a precursor to a broad free trade deal.