- Negotiations
Taiwan actively seeks bilateral free trade agreements, though it is hampered in this effort by its status vis-a-vis China. It has FTAs already with Panama (2003), Guatemala (2005), Nicaragua (2006), El Salvador (2007) and Honduras (2007). It is negotiating with Dominican Republic and Paraguay. And it hopes to negotiate further deals with Costa Rica, Israel, Swaziland, Japan, the US of course, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Mexico. Taipei’s emphasis on Central American countries as FTA partners is to gain access to the US market under NAFTA and CAFTA. But now Taiwan is in talks with China for a possible FTA following the signing of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between the two governments in 2010.
last update: May 2012
Photo: simonwai/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
12-May-2005
The government will negotiate with Beijing to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) under the auspices of the WTO, rather than creating a cross-strait "common market," Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh said yesterday.
7-Mar-2005
Taipei Times
Taiwan is pushing for a free trade agreement (FTA) with Malaysia in an attempt to further prop up substantive ties between the two countries.
21-Feb-2005
Manik Mehta argues that Taiwan and Thailand would do well to cement their existing partnership with the formal adoption of a free-trade agreement.
15-Feb-2005
Government officials yesterday dismissed a report that the proposed free-trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and its diplomatic ally Paraguay is in jeopardy, due to pressure from other members of Mercosur, a South American trade bloc of which Paraguay is a member.
23-Jan-2005
Kyodo
Taiwan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh called on Japan to strike a bilateral free trade agreement, saying such a pact will be "very beneficial to Japan."
11-Dec-2004
CNA
Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh signed a free trade agreement (FTA) consultation framework Tuesday with her counterpart from Guatemala, Marcio Cuevas, and began their first meeting on FTA issues.
8-Nov-2004
Taipei Times
Taiwan is struggling to find ways of making free trade agreements (FTAs) with its trading partners, even as China and ASEAN are set to sign two landmark agreements this month establishing the world’s largest Free Trade Area, which is scheduled to come into being by 2010.
20-Sep-2004
Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) The first round of talks on a Taiwan-Nicaragua free trade agreement (FTA) started in Taipei Monday. Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officials said that a 20-member Nicaraguan delegation is visiting Taipei to negotiate with its Taiwanese counterparts.
17-Sep-2004
Taiwan is expected to sign an investment protection pact with Israel and start bilateral negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) soon, Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) officials said Friday.
16-Sep-2004
The first round of talks on a Taiwan-Nicaragua free trade agreement (FTA) will be held in Taipei Sept. 20-24, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) officials said Thursday.