FREE AND OPEN: A bilateral trade agreement would be in line with the US’ goals in the region, countering China’s unfair trading practices, 50 US senators said

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 03, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA, Washington

Half of the 100 members of the US Senate on Thursday issued a call to assume formal negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement between Taiwan and the US.

In a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the 42 Republican and eight Democratic senators said that Taiwan has demonstrated its capacity to maintain a strong economic partnership with the US.

“Along with a robust trading profile of goods and services, Taiwan supports an estimated 208,000 American jobs — a number that will only increase with a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement,” said the letter, as posted on the official Web site of one of the signatories, US Senator James Inhofe.

US Senator Robert Menendez, who with Inhofe chairs the US Senate Taiwan Caucus, and 48 other senators said in the letter that Taiwan not only supplements US goods and services, but is a reliable partner in many industries.    [FULL  STORY]