WASHINGTON – The US and Taiwan will hold another round of negotiations towards their “21st century” trade agreement starting on April 29 in Taipei, the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office said on April 26.
The talks, led by USTR and the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, are expected to discuss more complicated areas in their negotiating mandate that were not already agreed in previous negotiating rounds, including agriculture, labour, digital trade, environment and state-owned enterprises.
The trade talks are not expected to alter goods tariffs, but proponents say a pact would strengthen economic bonds between the US and Taiwan, open the island to more American exports, and increase Taiwan’s ability to resist economic coercion from China.
Beijing has denounced the trade talks as it does all forms of high level engagement between the US and Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. Taiwan strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims, which Beijing has been trying to push on Taipei through stepped-up military activities around the island.
USTR said the negotiations “are being conducted consistent with the United States’ one-China policy” and the Taiwan Relations Act, which obligates Washington to help provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
The trade talks also take place amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait ahead of the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing views as a dangerous separatist.
In June 2023, the US and Taiwan signed an agreement on the first part of the “US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade”, covering areas such as Customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, anti-corruption measures, and small businesses. USTR said the Customs agreement, which allows for electronic filing of Taiwan’s Customs forms and duty payments, is aimed at reducing red tape for US exports to Taiwan.
The US negotiating team will be led by Mr Terry McCartin, the assistant US trade representative for China, Mongolia and Taiwan affairs, and will include representatives from other US government agencies, USTR said. REUTERS
