TAIPEI : The United States should"urgently" start talks with Taiwan on a free trade agreement with the aim to present a completed text for passage next year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan said in an annual policy paper published on Wednesday.
While Taiwan has strong bipartisan support in Congress and the Senate, the Biden administration last month excluded Taipei from its Asia-focused economic plan designed to counter China's growing influence, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF. Such a deal would encourage other like-minded partners to enter into similar arrangements with Taiwan, further open Taiwan's economy and"effectively" address the economic and security implications of the island's key chip industry.
However, the chamber, which has members from more than 500 international companies, noted the lack of progress on such an agreement, saying its passage was their top request to Washington.