PENNSYLVANIA, October 13 - WHEREAS, Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner of the

United States, with bilateral trade totaling $83.17 billion in

2020; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan has been committed to further enhancing its

economic ties with the United States by seeking to sign a

reciprocal Bilateral Trade Agreement and an Avoidance Double

Taxation Agreement and agreeing to ease restrictions on the

importation of United States agricultural products; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Taiwan have

developed an enduring and mutually beneficial partnership that

facilitates economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges

over the years; and

WHEREAS, Taiwan is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's 6th

largest export market in Asia and the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania is home to a growing number of Taiwanese companies

that create thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania, and a high

standard BTA would encourage even greater access to Taiwan's

market, reduce tariff and nontariff barriers to trade and

increase security and economic growth for both the United States

and Taiwan, as well as Pennsylvania in particular; and

WHEREAS, The MOUs between the United States and Taiwan on

Scientific and Technological Cooperation and International

Education Cooperation lay the foundation for broader exchanges

and cooperation between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and

Taiwan on innovation, critical supply chains and language

education; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Taiwan signed

an intergovernmental agreement regarding the mutual recognition

of driver's licenses in 2015, creating greater convenience for

the people on both sides and deepening relations between Taiwan

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