Sen. Gardner Calls on Trade Representative to Begin Bilateral Trade Agreement Talks With Taiwan

Flags of Taiwan and the United States are placed for a meeting between U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and with Su Chia-chyuan, President of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 27, 2018. Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), urged the U.S. trade representative (USTR) to begin negotiations between the United States and Taiwan on a comprehensive Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

Gardner, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy sent a letter to USTR Ambassador Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday urging him to take advantage of the “favorable environment” with the passage of the Taipei International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act to begin trade talks.