Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-10
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Director General of the Department of North American Affairs of Ministry of
The TIFA was established in 1994 as a high-level economic and trade consultations between the two states and a primary bilateral platform for trade dispute resolution, trade promotion and investment cooperation.
Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Christine Hsueh said Thursday that the Taiwan-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks would most likely take place after the new government takes office, and will be hosted by the United States this time as both sides agreed to take turns holding the annual meeting.
The TIFA was established in 1994 as a high-level economic and trade consultations between the two states and a primary bilateral platform for trade dispute resolution, trade promotion and investment cooperation.
The latest round of TIFA trade talks was held in October last year in Taipei without reaching consensus on debated issues such as U.S. pork imports. Taiwan’s resistance to expanding imports of U.S. pork has had the U.S. suspend the talks several times in the past to express its dissatisfaction. It is generally thought that Taiwan’s new government is expected to remove restrictions on pork imports in order to help its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In the meantime, the U.S. has lent conditional support to Taiwan’s membership in the TPP, with opening Taiwan’s market to U.S. pork being one of the conditions, according to media reports.
Trade negotiation between Taiwan and the U.S. has been an ongoing process, said Hsueh, and since the new government will be sworn in on May 20, the latest trade talks would most likely be held after then. [SOURCE]
