Deputy Trade Representative Jenni Yang (楊珍妮) has pledged to push for more Taiwanese agricultural products to be exported to the US.
Yang made the statement during the latest round of trade talks between the two countries that started yesterday. The in-person negotiating is part of the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and took place at the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) in Taipei.
The Taiwanese delegation is led by Yang, while the US side is headed by Assistant US Trade Representative for China, Mongolia and Taiwan Affairs Terry McCartin.
Photo: CNA
The latest round of negotiations would focus on issues concerning labor, environmental protection and agriculture, Yang told reporters before the beginning of the closed-door talks that are to last until Saturday.
She said these topics were more complex compared with those covered in the previous round of talks, because both countries have different legal frameworks and regulations.
“That is why we need to talk face-to-face, to get an understanding of our differences,” Yang said.
Yang did not disclose more details on the issues that would be touched on during the scheduled talks, such as whether food safety and security would be included.
This line of questioning came as reporters spotted Food and Drug Administration Director-General Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) at the OTN yesterday morning.
When asked if agricultural products had been selected as part of a push to get wider access to the US market, Yang said that is her goal, without expanding on what exact products were in focus.
Taiwan was the seventh-largest export market for US agricultural and related products last year, with a total value of US$3.7 billion, while the US remained the No. 1 export market for Taiwan’s agricultural and related products for the second consecutive year.
The total amount exported by Taiwanese agricultural firms accounted for 17 percent (US$935 million) of the nation’s exports last year, US government data showed.
The delegations are expected to discuss several areas outlined in the initiative’s negotiating mandate, both governments said. The meetings would be closed to the media, and additional details about subsequent negotiating rounds would be provided at a later date.
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