The Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st Century Trade second phase in-person meetings have begun in Taipei, continuing from Monday to Friday this week and focusing on labor, agriculture, and environmental issues. Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China, Mongolia, and Taiwan Affairs Terry McCartin led the U.S. delegation, with officials from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and relevant ministries also attending the meetings.
The Cabinet’s Office of Trade Negotiations Deputy Trade Representative Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮) said in an interview before the meeting that she would specifically focus on the export of Taiwan’s agricultural products to the U.S. Regarding media comments on the recent press release in which the U.S. stated that the negotiations will touch on food safety issues, she said that the agenda and any discussions will not be made public until after conclusions have been reached. Yang emphasized that there are differences in legal, practical, and international aspects between Taiwan and the U.S. whether related to labor, agriculture, or the environment. She stated that the negotiations require more communication to understand and acknowledge these differences.
Yang revealed that while the negotiation of the first batch is nearing its final stage, it has taken several months for Taiwan and the U.S. to address the legal differences before signing. She added the first batch is expected to take effect in the first half of this year. As for the signing of the second batch, there is no specific timeline so far.