US President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a bill that approves the first agreement negotiated under a bilateral trade initiative between Taiwan and the US, the White House said in a statement.
The United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act took effect immediately after Biden signed it, the statement said.
After a year of negotiations, Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and American Institute in Taiwan Managing Director Ingrid Larson on June 1 signed an initial agreement under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade in Washington.
Photo: AP
The first agreement, which does not cover tariff reductions or exemptions, covers general principles related to customs and border procedures, regulatory practices and anti-corruption practices.
It is hoped that the principles will facilitate bilateral trade and investment flows in part by minimizing border formalities, setting standards for the regulation of domestic services, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
On June 9, US Senate Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Ron Wyden and US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith proposed the bill backing the first agreement under the trade initiative.
The legislation requires the US president to report to the US Congress on how the first agreement with Taiwan would enhance Taiwan-US trade relations and advance the interests of US workers, consumers, enterprises and farmers.
The president must also certify in writing to Congress within 30 days of the agreement entering into force that Taiwan has taken the necessary measures to comply with the terms of the agreement.
The bill requires US officials to ensure that any additional agreements with Taiwan be made transparently and in full consultation with Congress.
In the White House statement, Biden voiced concern over a portion of the law.
In cases where the requirements of Section 7 of the act, which require the transmission of trade deal drafts to Congress, would “impermissibly infringe upon my constitutional authority to negotiate with a foreign partner, my administration will treat them as nonbinding,” he said.
The bill, which the Senate passed on July 18, cleared the House on June 21 and was then sent to the president on July 27 to be signed into law within 10 days after being signed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS