For an economy to grow, laws and regulations should reflect the reality of business environments and needs. In today’s rapidly evolving world of work, Taiwan faces two critical challenges: adapting to global market demands to boost competitiveness and addressing labor shortages in the hospitality sector, where industry demand has outgrown domestic supply. The post-pandemic work…
Taiwan’s flu season, which runs between November and March, is just around the corner. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has therefore begun publishing its annual influenza report, the “Influenza Express,” updated weekly from October through May. Despite the ease of controlling the spread of flu through vaccination, only around a quarter of Taiwan’s…
The urgency of addressing climate change has spurred governments worldwide to devise innovative policies that align environmental goals with economic imperatives. One such endeavor, the U.S. Clean Competition Act (CCA), exemplifies this convergence of environmental sustainability and trade strategy. However, the intricacies of the CCA raise concerns regarding its compatibility with World Trade Organization (WTO)…
AmCham Taiwan’s 27th annual Taiwan White Paper, presented on June 7 this year, garnered unprecedented media coverage. More than 50 articles and over a dozen TV news stories reported on its main themes. Like the Chamber’s 2023 White Paper, Taiwan has recently been placed under the spotlight. As noted in the White Paper, Taiwan’s exemplary…
On Earth Day this year, Taiwan set up the preparatory office for its Climate Change Agency, a new government body under the Environmental Protection Administration. The establishment of the Agency, which will be responsible for planning details for a carbon tax and helping Taiwan respond to climate transition requirements, is a positive step toward Taiwan’s…
When six prominent U.S. Senators – three Democrats and three Republicans – introduced a resolution early last month urging the Biden administration to begin negotiations with Taiwan on a double-taxation avoidance agreement, the text of the resolution made a point of calling attention to AmCham Taiwan’s support for such an agreement as expressed in its…
As Taiwan strives to become a more inclusive society for foreign residents, it is heartening to see the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) working to level the playing field in the banking sector. AmCham recognizes and appreciates the FSC’s efforts to make the banking sector more accessible to foreign residents. The push for bilingual services and…
The U.S. Congress in December passed legislation creating the long-awaited Taiwan Fellowship Program to deepen the relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan. Since the idea was first proposed more than a decade ago, AmCham Taiwan has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Program, which will enable the United States each year to send 10 federal…
For better or worse, Taiwan received unprecedented global interest in 2022. Coverage in internationally read publications, such as The New Yorker, The Economist, and The Atlantic, has been lengthy and detailed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that the foreign media presence in Taiwan has increased by more than 30% since 2020. These developments, coupled…
Taiwanese seafood products were in October included by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in its List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, retaining the forced-labor designation it first received in 2020. According to the DOL, workers in the industry are hired by agencies that require them to pay recruitment fees and…
