Agriculture top priority in next U.S. trade talks: Top Taiwan negotiator
Focus Taiwan
2023.06.21
Expanding agricultural exports to the United States will be a priority issue in negotiations of the second phase of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade after the two sides signed an initial agreement on June 1, Taiwan's top trade negotiator said Wednesday.
Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said in an interview with media personality Frances Huang (黃光芹) that environmental protection and labor issues will also be high on the agenda for negotiations in the second part of the trade initiative with the United States.
Noting that the first agreement under the initiative covers 81 articles in five key areas and is a complete pact, Deng said it has a legal basis and is a formal accord unlike most of the deals signed with the U.S. in the past which were in the form of memorandums.
After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will commence on more complicated trade areas including environmental protection, labor and agricultural issues, according to Deng.
In terms of agriculture, the focus of talks will be on Taiwan's exportation of agricultural products to the U.S., Deng said.
China represented the biggest market for Taiwanese farm exports in the past. However, it has several times suspended imports of Taiwanese farm produce in recent years, forcing Taiwan to shift its agricultural exports to Singapore and Japan, he added.
To date, the U.S. is still the biggest market for Taiwan's agricultural goods and processed agricultural products, Deng noted.
Expanding agricultural exports to the United States will be a priority issue in negotiations of the second phase of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade after the two sides signed an initial agreement on June 1, Taiwan's top trade negotiator said Wednesday.
Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said in an interview with media personality Frances Huang (黃光芹) that environmental protection and labor issues will also be high on the agenda for negotiations in the second part of the trade initiative with the United States.
Noting that the first agreement under the initiative covers 81 articles in five key areas and is a complete pact, Deng said it has a legal basis and is a formal accord unlike most of the deals signed with the U.S. in the past which were in the form of memorandums.
After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will commence on more complicated trade areas including environmental protection, labor and agricultural issues, according to Deng.
In terms of agriculture, the focus of talks will be on Taiwan's exportation of agricultural products to the U.S., Deng said.
China represented the biggest market for Taiwanese farm exports in the past. However, it has several times suspended imports of Taiwanese farm produce in recent years, forcing Taiwan to shift its agricultural exports to Singapore and Japan, he added.
To date, the U.S. is still the biggest market for Taiwan's agricultural goods and processed agricultural products, Deng noted.
Read more here.