Latest round of US-Taiwan Initiative for 21st Century Trade meetings held in Washington in August

The Taiwan-U.S. Initiative for 21st Century Trade held its latest round of meetings in Washington, D.C. on August 14-18. Taiwan’s Deputy Chief Negotiator Jen-ni Yang of the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations joined hands with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries and departments participating in the negotiations. On the U.S. side, Terry McCartin, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and representatives from various relevant departments led by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) participated in the negotiations.

The meeting was the first in-person meeting between the two parties after the first batch of agreements was signed in June of this year. Views were exchanged on several topics including agriculture, labor and the environment. In terms of agriculture, the two sides discussed the promotion of agricultural trade, establishing food security, and promoting climate adjustment and resilience through sustainable agriculture as well as transparency of regulations and other practices. In the area of labor, they discussed the protection of internationally recognized labor rights and developing more inclusive development. In the area of the environment, cooperation directions such as promoting green enterprises, economic decarbonization, and promoting natural resource conservation were discussed.

The two sides also exchanged views on the first batch of agreements, which covered five topics: trade facilitation, good legal practice, anti-corruption, domestic regulations in the service industry, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The two sides also discussed the administrative procedures and regulations required for the subsequent implementation of the agreement. Through detailed work and the exchange of views and discussions, both parties will be fully prepared to implement the agreement to facilitate the development of bilateral trade between Taiwan and the United States.

The two sides held thorough discussions during this round of meetings and will continue to maintain close communication through video and other means. Both delegations showed a high degree of enthusiasm for this cooperation. The results of the meeting were highly constructive and beneficial to follow-up work, and those involved look forward to achieving fruitful results as quickly as possible.