DOA Director on US Trade Mission to Taiwan

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Director of Agriculture Filifaatali Mike Fuiava is part of a  landmark trade mission from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that’s currently in Taiwan to build ties and explore business opportunities in the agricultural sector,

Led by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Ken Isley, the delegation will engage in business meetings, briefings and onsite visits to gain firsthand information about the Taiwan market during the four-day visit,

A statement from the  American Institute in Taiwan quotes Isley saying  that  and the United States have a long-standing and favorable business relationship,”

“Taiwan is an import-dependent economy and has a real affinity for U.S. ag products because of their quality, affordability and safety. What that adds up to is excellent opportunities for American exporters.”

Along with Filifaatali is Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould, officials from the Georgia and Nebraska departments of agriculture, and representatives from 49 American agribusinesses and farm organizations,

The U.S. is Taiwan’s top overseas supplier of agricultural products, with a 31 percent market share, and U.S. agricultural exports to Taiwan reached a record US$3.8 billion in fiscal year 2018, according to USDA statistics.

The trade mission, the first by the USDA to Taiwan, is part of a yearlong campaign by the AIT to mark the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

The TRA was signed in April 1979 by then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a few months after the U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The act provides a legal basis for unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan and enshrines in law the U.S.’ commitment to helping Taiwan maintain its self-defense capability.