Taiwan to review US trade policies

Taiwan is preparing to review US trade policies in the WTO next week, a well-placed source in Geneva said Saturday.

The source said that this will be the first time since it joined the WTO in January 2002 that Taiwan will have examined US trade policies under the framework of the world trade regulatory body.

The US is the first WTO member to undergo a trade policy review within the organization this year.

An official of Taiwan's permanent mission to the WTO said Saturday that US trade policy reviews always draw attention from other WTO members, as the nation is the world's largest trading country.

According to WTO rules, the US has to undergo a trade policy review every two years.

Noting that Taiwan government agencies and its mission to the WTO have prepared well for the upcoming review, the official said that the mission has passed on written questions to the WTO secretariat and that Yen Ching-chang (顏慶章), the island's permanent representative to the WTO, will also raise questions during a WTO Jan. 14 to 16 meeting as part of the process.

Taiwan is concerned about certain US trade policies and practices, including national security and anti-terrorism measures that have been adopted by Washington since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil with regard to regulating foreign investment and trade.

Other trade measures regarding anti-dumping, intellectual property rights protection, financial services and safeguarding measures are also of concern to Taiwan.

Officials expect that during the WTO's US trade policy-review meeting, WTO members that have already raised written questions on US trade policies will have priority in questioning the US delegates after they report on the nation's trade policies at the meeting.