The American withdrawal from the nascent Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade block almost immediately after President Trump assumed office early this year left Taiwan without a concrete, compelling objective to work toward in its economic relationship with the United States. Until then, Taiwan had a clear focus – its hope that it would be able to…
Where business has slowed, the main reason appears to be economic factors. Ever since Beijing angrily terminated official communications with Taiwan’s then newly installed Tsai Ing-wen government in June last year, political relations with China have plunged to their coolest point in nearly a decade. But the cross-Strait political chill over Taiwan’s unwillingness to accept a…
The government is seeking to strengthen trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural relations with South and Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia may be close to Taiwan geographically, but Taiwanese traditionally tended to see its people as little more than a source of cheap labor. Even in academia, says Edwin Yang, an instructor in the College of…
Watching from the sidelines, Taiwan had cheered the efforts of the 12 countries negotiating to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in hope that this economy would be able to enter the multilateral trade agreement in a second round. Now, with the declaration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that he will announce the United States’ withdrawal…
To many people, the above abbreviations may simply look like alphabet soup, but the relationships they stand for can be expected to play a crucial role in shaping Taiwan’s economic future. The TPP, or Trans-Pacific Partnership, represents a potential opportunity for Taiwan to break out of its near isolation in terms of participation in free…
iPhone to the Rescue – Again The importance of the iPhone to Taiwan’s economy was demonstrated once again when in July it helped bring the first uptick in the country’s exports following 17 straight months of declines. Taiwan’s exports, a key driver of growth and domestic investment, posted 1.2% growth in July year-on-year, according to…
Taiwan’s two main political parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Kuomintang (KMT), which recently reversed roles as the governing and opposition parties, have widely diverging positions on many issues. But on one point they are firmly in accord: the need for Taiwan to maintain its economic competitiveness by readying itself for eventual participation…
Controversy rages in the United States over the likely fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP was signed on February 4, 2016, but to take effect it must be ratified by at least six of the signatories, including the United States and Japan. U.S. President Obama has written that the TPP would level the…
Exports and growth continue to Languish How many synonyms for “decline” exist in the English language? Reports on the current state of Taiwan’s economy offer a good sampling, as nearly all indicators point south. Exports, perhaps the most scrutinized figure for Taiwan’s trade-driven economy, continued to slump in March for the 14th consecutive month, falling…
With allowance for further updating, many of these items are likely to appear on the TIFA agenda. Each spring the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issues a voluminous document called the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which assesses the openness of U.S. trading partners to American products and services. In…
