Conservatives Call on Trump to Establish Free Trade Agreement With Taiwan

Conservative leaders are asking President Donald Trump to establish a free trade agreement with Taiwan that they say would bolster America’s interests. 

Calling Taiwan “a model trade partner,” the conservative leaders write in a letter addressed to the president, “The idea of a U.S.-Taiwan free trade agreement has been blocked for decades by Washington’s concern for Beijing’s sensitivities. The most encouraging thing about your administration is its tendency to look past the way business has been done in the past and take a fresh approach when the U.S. stands to gain.”

“The veto power Beijing has exercised over this issue in administration past should be revoked,” the letter writers add. “Nothing about a free trade agreement with Taiwan is incompatible with serviceable, productive relations with China. “ 

The letter, which was released Wednesday has nine signatories:  Lisa B. Nelson, CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council; Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks; Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action for America; Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks; Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council; Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union; David Williams, president of the Taxpayer Protection Alliance; Andrew F. Quinlan, president of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity; and Lorenzo Montanari, vice president of International Affairs at Americans for Tax Reform. 

According to The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom, Taiwan is the 11th freest economy in the world. 

“Taiwan is ranked 5th among 42 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is well above the regional and world averages,” notes the Index. “The Taiwanese economy has been rated mostly free for a decade. GDP growth over the past five years has been steady.”

Taiwan receives high marks for its property rights, amount of government spending, and business freedom. 

The letter highlights the current U.S.-Taiwan trade relationship.

“Taiwan is America’s 14th leading export market for goods,” the conservative leaders write, adding:

For agricultural products, it is number eight. The U.S. and Taiwan offer one another attractive opportunities in investment and services as well. Taiwan has more than $8 billion invested in the U.S., much of which is in manufacturing. And whereas the U.S. runs a trade deficit with Taiwan in goods, it runs a surplus in services.   

The post Conservatives Call on Trump to Establish Free Trade Agreement With Taiwan appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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