50 Senators Ask USTR to Start Negotiating FTA With Taiwan
Fifty senators, including 42 of 53 Republicans, wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer this week, asking that the administration “begin the formal process of negotiating a comprehensive trade agreement with Taiwan.” The first step of the formal process would be notifying Congress, then soliciting input into negotiating priorities.
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“As our 11th largest trading partner, with $76 billion in total goods exchanged during 2018 and $18.5 billion of trade in services, Taiwan has demonstrated their capacity to hold a strong economic partnership with the United States. 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,” the Oct. 1 letter said. “While there are challenges to establishing an agreement with Taiwan, such as reaching an agreement on agricultural standards, we are confident that progress can be made. Taiwan has already taken steps to further these conversations by announcing their intent to lift their restrictions on U.S. pork and beef products.” In December 2019, 161 House members also asked for these negotiations (see 1912200014).