Taiwan has agreed to buy US$10 billion of US agricultural products over the next four years in exchange for exporting the nation’s pineapples, the Presidential Office said amid tariff negotiations with Washington.
President William Lai (賴清德) unveiled the deal at a meeting with an agricultural delegation headed by US Undersecretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke Lindberg, the office said in a statement on Tuesday evening.
The deal to import US-produced soybeans, corn, wheat and beef would improve the productivity of Taiwanese agriculture by improving the quality of its animal feed, as well as improving the nation’s food security, the office said, citing Lai.
Photo: CNA
A Taiwanese agricultural delegation has visited several breadbasket states in the US, including South Dakota, Lindberg’s home state, Lai said, adding that the exchange of delegations signaled Taiwan’s commitment to the bilateral economic partnership.
Taiwan is the seventh-biggest trade partner of the US and the seventh most important buyer of its agricultural exports, he said.
As a reliable and trustworthy friend of the US in the semiconductor industry, Taiwan wishes to enhance bilateral collaboration toward introducing innovative technology in its agricultural sector and food supply resilience, Lai said.
Taiwan’s strategic position in the first island chain and its ability to contribute to decoupling global supply chains from China underscores the importance of cooperation among like-minded nations to world peace and prosperity, he said.
The visit of Lindberg’s delegation — which showcases the depth of collaboration between the private and public sectors in Taiwan and the US — symbolizes the strength of the two nations’ strategic economic partnership, Lai said.
Lindberg expressed his gratitude to Taiwanese consumers for buying up to 25 percent of their foodstuff from US farmers, the statement said.
As a friend of Taiwan, the US is committed to bolstering the nation’s resilience by contributing to its supply of food and energy, Lindberg said.
Separately, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) yesterday said that officials expect the US to approve imports of Taiwanese pineapples before the next harvest, which starts in March next year.
Most of the technical and legal hurdles involved in obtaining approval for sale of the fruit in the US have been overcome since the government began preparing for the move in September last year, Chen said.
Taiwan initiated the process to export pineapples to the US shortly after 2021, when China banned their sale, he said, adding that members of the US delegation who visited Taiwanese orchards were satisfied with their sanitation standards.
Taiwanese pineapples compare favorably in sweetness and juiciness to their Central and Southern American counterparts that hold sway in the US market, he said.
Most Taiwanese pineapple cultivars certified to be pest-free would be exempt from chemical and non-chemical treatment typically required of fruit imported by the US, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said, citing comments by US officials.
Details of the quarantine procedures for Taiwanese pineapples are still being determined, the bureau added.
Additional reporting by Yang Yuan-ting
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