Readout of January negotiating round under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century trade

The United States and Taiwan, under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), held an in-person negotiating round for the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade in Taipei, Taiwan from January 14-17, 2023.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Assistant United States Trade Representative Terry McCartin led the U.S. delegation as the designated representative of AIT. The U.S. delegation also included officials from AIT, as well as the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Agency for International Development.

This meeting came after the United States and Taiwan, under the auspices of AIT and TECRO, held two days of productive conceptual discussions in New York from November 8-9, 2022.

During the four-day negotiating round in Taipei, the two sides exchanged views on proposed texts covering trade facilitation, anticorruption, small and medium-sized enterprises, good regulatory practices, and services domestic regulation. Officials also reached a consensus in a number of areas and pledged to maintain an ambitious negotiating schedule in the months ahead to continue this momentum.

These texts follow through on the two sides’ shared commitment to pursue a high-ambition trade initiative, as outlined in the negotiating mandate that was established in August 2022, in order to strengthen and deepen economic and trade ties.

Congressional staff traveled to Taipei and were briefed by USTR officials throughout the round. USTR also hosted a stakeholder consultation meeting as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and robust external engagement.

Details on the next negotiating round will be shared at a later date.

These trade negotiations are being conducted in accordance with the United States one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.