US trade pact talks still likely: official

ON COURSE: The deputy minister of economic affairs said more people in the US are urging US firms to invest in Taiwan and US officials from various parties support a deal

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 09, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

Negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between Taiwan and the US are still likely to go forward despite a change in the US presidency, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺) said yesterday.

The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) under which Taiwan and the US hold formal talks has a high chance of resuming and is an important catalyst for a bilateral trade agreement, Chen said.

Chen pointed to Taiwan’s recent announcement that it would ease restrictions on imports of US pork containing the leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine.Washington has long criticized Taiwan’s zero-tolerance policy for ractopamine as an impediment to trade, and as a result of this, it has not held formal talks with Taiwan through the TIFA framework since October 2016.
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