Foreign Minister Joseph Wu says that now is the time for Taiwan and the US to conclude a bilateral trade agreement. That’s as the government moves to ease restrictions on the import of pork and beef from the US, removing a significant stumbling block in bilateral trade ties.
Speaking during a virtual meeting held by the Atlanta Council on International Relations Thursday, Wu said that economic and trade links with the US are already close. He pointed to the scale of bilateral trade, which exceeded US$80 billion last year, as well as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s announcement that it will invest US$12 billion in setting up a plant in Arizona.
Wu said that the time is now ripe for a bilateral trade agreement. He said Taiwan hopes its revised policy towards imported US meat will pave the way for even closer trade ties, as well as further discussions on issues such as a trade agreement.