The US Department of Agriculture’s first-ever trade mission to Taiwan arrived yesterday to build ties and explore business opportunities in the agricultural sector, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said.
The visit is part of a year-long campaign by the AIT to mark the 40th anniversary of the US’ Taiwan Relations Act.
Led by Ken Isley, the department’s foreign agricultural service administrator, the delegation is to hold business meetings and briefings, and conduct on-site visits to gain firsthand information about the Taiwanese market during the four-day visit, the AIT said in a news release.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
“Taiwan and the United States have a long-standing and favorable business relationship,” Isley was quoted as saying in the news release. “Taiwan is an import-dependent economy and has a real affinity for US agricultural products because of their quality, affordability and safety. What that adds up to is excellent opportunities for American exporters.”
The delegation includes American Samoa Director of Agriculture Filifaatali Fuiava, Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould, officials from the Georgia and Nebraska departments of agriculture, and representatives from 49 US agribusinesses and farm organizations, the AIT said.
The US is Taiwan’s top overseas supplier of agricultural products, with a 31 percent market share, and US agricultural exports to Taiwan reached a record US$3.8 billion last year, department statistics showed.
Separately, Belizean Senate President Lee Mark Chang yesterday arrived in Taiwan to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and to help establish a Taiwan-Belize parliamentary friendship group in recognition of the ties, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Leading a four-member delegation, Chang was scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and meet with Belizean expatriates, the ministry said in news release.
The delegation would visit sites of interest, such as the Agricultural Biotechnology Park in Pingtung, Tungkang Biotechnology Research Center and Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, it said.
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