The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday launched a “US-Taiwan Connect” Web site as part of its efforts to improve mutual understanding and boost investment from the US.
The English-language one-stop portal provides detailed information on Taiwan related to trade opportunities, investment, industrial cooperation, APEC cooperation, energy policy, immigration, educational exchanges, travel and sister cities.
Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Bill Cho (卓士昭) said at an event to introduce the Web site that the ministry hoped the site would serve as a communications platform to “pave the growth of US-Taiwan trade and investment.”
Last year, bilateral trade between the US and Taiwan reached US$67 billion, making Taiwan the US’ 10th-largest trading partner, the ministry said.
Not only is Taiwan the US’ 15th-largest export market, but it also is the single largest per capita importer of US farm products in the world, the ministry said.
The launch of the new “US-Taiwan Connect” portal comes at “a very opportune time,” American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) economic chief Alan Tousignant said, as the institute expects that admitting Taiwan to the US visa-waiver program will make the US a more popular destination for Taiwanese travelers.
The AIT is also promoting a US national travel and tourism strategy, and Taiwan’s inclusion in the visa-waiver program provides a golden opportunity for more company-to-company and people-to-people exchanges, he said.
Tousignant said the launch of the new Web site will also further reinforce the strong economic and commercial ties between the US and Taiwan.
The US has set the goals of doubling its exports by the end of 2014 and increasing its inbound investment, and the first step in completing an export transaction or undertaking a green field investment is acquiring market and industry information, Tousignant said.
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