The Economic Ministry and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) jointly held the 2024 Taiwan-U.S. Supply Chain Partnership Forum and U.S. Investment Opportunities Conference on Tuesday. Ministry officials have pointed out that Taiwanese companies are playing an increasingly important role in the global supply chain, in part due to increased cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. in recent years.
At the event’s opening ceremony, Economic Deputy Minister Ho Chin-tsang (何晉滄) spoke on the Taiwan-U.S. Initiative on 21st Century Trade, which was signed in June 2023. He described it as a milestone for the trade and investment relationship between Taiwan and the U.S., and expressed his hope that both sides will build further cooperation based on the framework laid out by the initiative.
The American Institute in Taiwan’s Commercial Section Deputy Chief Eric Crowley also spoke at the event, highlighting that in just three years, nearly half of all U.S. state governments have established offices in Taiwan. He said this illustrates Taiwan’s role as one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in the U.S. In addition to major investment projects such as TSMC and Globalwafers, Crowley noted that more and more Taiwanese companies are interested in importing electric vehicles, drones, and other technologies from the U.S.
The Economic Ministry’s International Trade Administration Director General Cynthia Kiang (江文若) elaborated that the number of U.S. state government offices has increased from six to 24. She also confirmed that a memorandum of understanding was recently signed with the South Carolina Department of Commerce. Kiang said that she hopes to increase cooperation with South Carolina in industry and renewable energy.