The US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill affirming its support for an initial agreement reached under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.
The bill was announced last week by US Representative and committee Chairman Jason Smith, US Representative Richard Neal, US Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Ron Wyden and US Senator Mike Crapo.
It cleared the committee in a 42-0 vote and now heads for a full House vote.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan and the US signed an agreement under the initiative on June 1, which covers customs and border procedures, regulatory practices and small businesses, to make trade and investment between the two sides easier.
Following the signing, the two sides said they plan to begin negotiations on more complicated issues, such as agriculture, digital trade, labor, and environment and nonmarket policies and practices, as well as state-owned enterprises and standards.
The committee said the bill confirms the US Congress’ support for the initial agreement, and seeks to require congressional consultation and approval for any subsequent agreements.
The bill’s latter section refers to an ongoing dispute between the White House and US lawmakers from both parties over the administration of US President Joe Biden’s pursuit of limited trade pacts that bypass Congress, another example being a deal on electric vehicle battery materials struck with Japan in March.
Smith told the committee that he supports the US administration’s efforts to pursue closer trade relations with Taiwan and believes the substance of the first agreement under the initiative was “sound.”
“The people of the United States and the people of Taiwan share an invaluable economic partnership; we share democratic values and we have strong individual ties between our two nations,” Smith said.
Neal said it was vital for Congress and US trade policy to support democratic Taiwan amid the “incredible pressure” it faces from its authoritarian neighbor, China.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
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STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
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