跳到主要內容區塊

僑務電子報

:::

Much more to do in U.S. trade talks, says Taiwan's top trade official

2023-06-03
Focus Taiwan
分享
分享至Facebook 分享至Line 分享至twitter
Minister without Portfolio John Deng (right), Taiwan's point man on trade, shakes hands with Taiwan's representative-designate to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim in Washington on Thursday. CNA photo June 2, 2023
Minister without Portfolio John Deng (right), Taiwan's point man on trade, shakes hands with Taiwan's representative-designate to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim in Washington on Thursday. CNA photo June 2, 2023
Minister without Portfolio John Deng takes an interview in Washington on Thursday. CNA photo June 2, 2023
Minister without Portfolio John Deng takes an interview in Washington on Thursday. CNA photo June 2, 2023
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianch is pictured in Washington on Thursday. June 2, 2023
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianch is pictured in Washington on Thursday. June 2, 2023

Washington, June 1 (CNA) Issues in seven more areas remain on the agenda for negotiations on the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade after the two sides signed an initial agreement on Thursday, according to Taiwan's top trade negotiator.

Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), Taiwan's point man on trade, said in Washington that talks on labor, environmental, and agricultural issues, digital trade, non-market policies and practices, state-owned enterprises, and standards remained to be discussed.

Deng said that during his closed-door talks with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Detroit last month, they agreed to begin the next round of negotiations as soon as possible.

But because negotiating all seven topics at the same time could slow down the proceedings, Taiwan is likely to suggest that the two sides focus on environmental, labor, and agricultural issues during the next round of negotiations, Deng said.

Deng noted, however, that this was only a preliminary plan that the Office of Trade Negotiations will have to discuss with the USTR.

While acknowledging that forthcoming negotiations will "not be easy," Deng said the goals of the two sides were aligned.

Taiwan has a well-developed system for protecting workers, and labor is an issue to which the United States attaches a high level of importance, Deng said.

In the negotiating mandate for the talks established in August 2022, the focus of labor negotiations was to adopt provisions that include protecting internationally recognized labor rights and holding the business community accountable for ensuring those rights.

Talks on the environment should be relatively easy, as environmental protection is a shared goal of the two countries, Deng said.

The mandate envisioned provisions that promote green businesses and decarbonization, strengthen environment protections, including resource conservation, and establish information sharing mechanisms.

On agriculture, the two countries are looking to increase their exports of agricultural products to the other, and food safety is also an issue expected to be covered, Deng said.

In this area, the mandate called for provisions that facilitate trade "through science- and risk-based decision making and the adoption of sound, transparent regulatory practices" and that support cooperation on food safety.

As to whether the two sides could conclude negotiations by year's end as the Office of Trade Negotiations hopes, Deng said it would depend on developments related to items on the two sides' agendas.

Both Taiwan and the U.S. have other matters to attend to in the second half of the year, and the timeline put forward by the office at this stage remains a hope and a target, Deng said.

In related news, the Ministry of Economy Affairs (MOEA) announced Wednesday evening that it will create a consultative body for Taiwanese and American small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as was agreed upon in the initial agreement under the trade initiative.

In a statement, the MOEA said the entity will focus on providing Taiwanese and American SMEs with consultative services to offer them advice on development strategies and the challenges they face while doing business, according to the statement.

The service is to be staffed with experts on Taiwan's trade with the U.S., as well as representatives from public foundations familiar with U.S. affairs and SMEs that have achieved proven results in their collaborations with the U.S., according to the statement.

Under the mechanism, an "SME dialogue" between public and private-sector representatives from Taiwan and the U.S. will also be launched to explore business opportunities and possibilities for cooperation, according to the statement.

相關新聞

top