AmChams of Asia Pacific – 2022 Virtual Doorknock US Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade on Protecting Manufacturing and Supply Chains from Forced Labor

This AAP series is designed to give the members of the AmChams of Asia Pacific direct access to the decision and policy makers and thought leaders on what is happening in Washington, DC, as well as to give the members the opportunity to give their first-hand perspective on what is happening in the region.

US Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Trade on Protecting Manufacturing and Supply Chains from Forced Labor

Tuesday, October 25, 8am – 9am (GMT+8)

Speakers:

Eric Choy, Acting Executive Director Trade Remedy Law Enforcement, Office of Trade at CBP

Annmarie Highsmith, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade at CBP

John Leonard, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade at CBP

The session will be moderated by Steven Okun Chair of AAP and Senior Advisor at McLarty Associates.

Registration is free for AmCham Taiwan members. Register here.

Spotlight on Resilience #3: Risks across the Strait after the Communist Party Congress

In response to members’ requests in a recent survey for briefings from U.S. and Taiwan authorities to help them deal with Cross-Strait challenges impacting the business environment, AmCham Taiwan is launching a new webinar series, “Spotlight on Resilience.” To maximize participation, most briefings will take place via Webex.

The third in the series will be held on Thursday, October 27 from 11am to 12pm. Speakers Mike Chinoy and Peter Enav, two veteran foreign correspondents with years of experience covering Taiwan/China issues, will break down the risks, especially in the wake of October’s Chinese Communist Party Congress.

Register here.

Event Recap – Living AmCham Taiwan Series Visit to Taoyuan

As part of our “Living AmCham Taiwan” series which visits towns and cities across Taiwan, Amcham organized a luncheon event attended by Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan in Taoyuan on September 16. We were honored to have Mayor Cheng share his vision for Taoyuan, its plans for sustainable development – including green energy, a low-carbon economy and digital transformation – as well as what the city government is doing to attract foreign investment.

Mayor Cheng highlighted that Taoyuan has undertaken several measures as part of the effort to pursue sustainable development, such as incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its governance, publishing a Voluntary Local Review, and establishing a committee focusing on SDGs. He also laid out the 2030 carbon reduction pathway for Taoyuan, which includes a wide variety of policies aiming at significantly reducing the city’s carbon emissions across all industries by 2030, and ultimately reaching net zero by 2050. Mayor Cheng stressed that an overarching energy governance plan, coupled with resilient infrastructure, is necessary for a city’s energy transformation to succeed, and that is what Taoyuan is striving to do.

Mayor Cheng concluded his remarks by emphasizing Taoyuan’s advantages and potential for development and welcomed Amcham members to keep on investing in the city. He drew on several American investment cases in Taoyuan as examples where the government integrated resources to the best of its ability in a short period of time to ensure the provision of land, energy, and infrastructure, demonstrating the government’s determination in attracting companies and industries to invest in Taoyuan.

Following the speech, guests visited the Taoyuan factory of Shung Ye Motor Corporation (SYM) to learn how they have reduced the emissions of their factory by implementing energy-saving initiatives such as installing solar panels on the roofs of their buildings. We would like to thank Taoyuan City Government Secretariat for their help in arranging the visit.

Interested in joining the next event? Sign up for our event newsletters to get event information before anyone else.

Spotlight on Resilience #2: FBI & Cyber Security Resources

Following on from the well-attended October 18 webinar with Bill Baoerjin and James Yu from the FBI, the speakers shared some helpful cyber security resources with our members.

FBI Internet Crime Compliant Center (IC3) https://www.ic3.gov/

Businesses can file a Business Email Compromise (BEC) report here: https://www.ic3.gov/Home/BEC

This will also initiate the financial fraud kill chain mentioned during the presentation.

The National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) https://www.ncfta.net/

NCFTA is where the FBI partners with the private sector to offer trainings and information sharing. It focuses on the U.S., but is expanding its role internationally.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas

Stop Ransomware https://www.stopransomware.gov

The FBI issues alerts such as the CISA Joint Advisory, Private Industry Notification (PIN) and FBI Liaison Alert System (FLASH). These alerts can be found on the Official Alerts & Statements – FBI | CISA page.

Members can download the FBI fact sheet on ransomware: Ransomware Fact Sheet

December 15 2022 Joint Cybersecurity Advisory on Criminal Actors Use Business Email Compromise to Steal Large Shipments of Food Products and Ingredients.

Event Recap: Living AmCham Taiwan Series Visit to Kaohsiung

On August 19 AmCham Taiwan travelled to the southern port city of Kaohsiung for the first event in a new series called “Living AmCham Taiwan”. The series will visit towns and cities across Taiwan to deepen links with local governments and learn from AmCham member companies based in those locations. The Kaohsiung event was held at the Intercontinental Kaohsiung.

We were proud to be joined by Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chi-Mai who introduced Kaohsiung’s history as an important trading port and gave guests an exciting insight into what the future holds for this city of over 2.7 million people. Kaohsiung made headlines recently as AmCham Taiwan member TSMC is constructing a new facility in the city, which will further solidify Kaohsiung’s position as a major manufacturing base. Mayor Chen told guests that when Taiwan was facing drought in 2019, it was Kaohsiung that supplied critical water supplies to TSMC in order for them to continue production. Mayor Chen emphasized that while many of Kaohsiung’s science parks are reaching capacity, new development of around 80 hectares has been secured for companies to set up in the city.

On the talent side, Mayor Chen mentioned programs at some of Kaohsiung’s leading education institutions, most notably National Sun Yat-sen University, as a critical piece of the puzzle in attracting businesses and investment to come to Kaohsiung. He also said he believes that now is the time for Kaohsiung’s youth to return to the city, as historically many have left for job opportunities in Taiwan’s north and central regions. As part of the central government’s policy of attracting return investment from Taiwanese businesses abroad, NT$500 billion (US$1.6 billion) has been invested in the city since 2019.

Mayor Chen concluded his speech by emphasizing that Kaohsiung features public transport and other infrastructure befitting a modern city, from the expanding Kaohsiung MRT and light rail network to the port facilities which have undergone major redevelopment over the past decade.

Wrapping up our visit to Kaohsiung, guests were invited to join onsite visits which were kindly arranged by Kaohsiung City Government Economic Development Bureau. We visited the Taiwan Startup Terrace, a flagship entrepreneurial hub focusing on 5G and AIoT technologies which is currently looking for new tenant companies to move in. Brogent Technologies Inc., a company that builds immersive virtual ‘flying theater’ experiences, was our second stop for a virtual tour of the USA. Guests also joined a boat tour of the Asia New Bay harbor to view the revitalization of Kaohsiung’s waterfront.

Our next Living AmCham Taiwan event will be held in Taoyuan on September 16. We do hope you can join us!

AmCham Webinar: Spotlight on Resilience #1: USDOC-Bureau of Industry & Security Open Briefing on Export Controls

In response to members’ requests in a recent survey for briefings from U.S. and Taiwan authorities to help them deal with Cross-Strait challenges impacting the business environment, AmCham Taiwan is launching a new webinar series, “Spotlight on Resilience.” The first session will be held on Wednesday, August 31 from 11am. Details and registration information can be found below.

The first webinar invites Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Export Control officer Jose Rodriguez to cover the following topics:

  • U.S. Export Control Authorities Overview
  • Summary of new Russia (and Belarus) Sanctions
  • Other Russian Industry Sector Sanctions
  • New Multilateral Controls on Advanced Semiconductors and Gas Turbines
  • Due Diligence Best Practices
  • Enforcement Actions
  • Invitation to one-on-one sessions

Register now.

AmCham Taiwan Releases its 2022 White Paper

Nearly 40 reporters from local and international media outlets converged at the Regent Taipei on June 22 as AmCham announced the release of its 2022 Taiwan White Paper. The press conference, led by AmCham Taiwan Vice Chairperson Andrea Wu and President Andrew Wylegala, was followed by a special luncheon for members and their guests.

Wylegala opened the event by highlighting the importance of the White Paper and its 26-year history as the Chamber’s signature annual advocacy document representing the interests of the Taiwan business community, as well as a platform for AmCham to articulate its vision for U.S.-Taiwan bilateral economic relations. Additionally, Wylegala expressed optimism regarding future trade relations and highlighted many promising trade initiatives involving Taiwan and the U.S., such as the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, the Technology Trade and Investment Collaboration (TTIC) framework, and multilateral agreements on digitalization and chip supply chains. 

In her remarks, Wu touched on important topics from this year’s White Paper, including AmCham Taiwan’s extended multi-track advocacy strategy and members’ requests for fast-tracking digitalization, accelerating the reopening of borders, reducing double taxation, and driving sustainability. 

Wu stressed that Taiwan currently finds itself in a “golden moment” of international attention and goodwill following its impressive economic performance and international contribution during the pandemic, but that it must do more to ensure that its hard efforts are not in vain. In this year’s White Paper, AmCham members urged Taiwan to speed up its digital transformation, enhance bilingualism, and address energy concerns to better facilitate international trade and investment.

During the media Q&A session, Wu noted that the overall tone of 2022 White Paper’s is more urgent and direct than in the past because the number of committee issues that had been resolved in the last year fell in comparison to the year before. AmCham members hope Taiwan can accelerate the pace of its reform and development and seize the golden opportunity presented to it in the post-pandemic world.

Wu also voiced hope that the government would further promote the Gold Card visa program and review and update its 2030 Bilingual policy to attract more foreign talent. Meanwhile, Wylegala stressed the importance of training and circulating specialized labor, naming the Talent Circulation Alliance as an initiative with significant potential. He also noted that “talent is key to our member companies and our future.”

The press conference was followed by a luncheon attended by around 120 AmCham members and their guests, as well as special guest Deputy Minister of the National Development Council Kao Shien-quey. Following a presentation by Wylegala and Wu, Kao was invited to the stage to receive a copy of the White Paper. In a speech, she expressed her gratitude to AmCham for its long-term advice on improvements to Taiwan’s investment environment and for supporting the strengthening of U.S.-Taiwan economic and trade relations. 

Kao noted that the recently announced U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is a historic breakthrough in Taiwan-U.S. relations and requested AmCham’s assistance in steadily advancing the objective of negotiating a bilateral trade agreement. The minister cited a number of recent government initiatives that address some of AmCham members’ most pressing issues, including energy stability, digitalization, and the reopening of borders. 

Finally, Kao thanked AmCham for its long-term support and assistance to Taiwan. “At this critical moment for Taiwan-U.S. relations, the Chamber plays an even more important role than before,” she said.

 

Extensive reports on the U.S.-Taiwan relationship

AmCham is pleased to share a few recent think tank reports on the ever-deepening U.S.-Taiwan economic relationship.

No more foundational technology, value chain, nor partnership exists than those covered by our U.S.-Taiwan BTA Coalition partners at Project 2049 and the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council in their upcoming report on semiconductors. The report release will take place on June 8, at 2 p.m. EST. For more information, please visit U.S., Taiwan, and Semiconductors – A Critical Supply Chain Partnership (us-taiwan.org)

Widening the lens on the partnership, scan this timely update on the economic case for a Taiwan FTA (“the BTA”) from the Heritage Foundation. The BTA is a long-overdue development and until now, a quantitative case for the business and worker benefits of such an agreement has been missing. As the BTA Coalition has noted, AmCham hopes that the promising new “U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade” announced last week by the U.S. Trade Representative will serve as springboard to a comprehensive agreement that provides market access benefits and meaningful further integration. To read the report by The Heritage Foundation, go to U.S.–Taiwan Free Trade Agreement: The Economic Case | The Heritage Foundation

To understand the “why” and “how” of expanding U.S. and multilateral economic ties with Taiwan, be on the lookout for Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Global Taiwan Institute Adviser Robert Wang’s forthcoming report on the GTI’s website.

Additionally, GTI provides an excellent panel discussion that hits the highlights of the latter two studies.

The IPEF train has departed. Now transferring to the BTA track

Although Taiwan is not included as a core member of the Biden administration’s new regional trade pact, it may now have an opportunity to conclude a U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement (BTA). AmCham President Andrew Wylegala and Senior Advisor Don Shapiro make the case for more concerted action in both Taiwan and on Capitol Hill in this op-ed for CommonWealth Magazine.

To read the full article, please go to The IPEF train has departed. Now transferring to the BTA track|Insight|2022-05-23|web only (cw.com.tw)

To download the article, click here.

Further reading in Chinese – 【獨家】沒被納入印太經濟架構 鄧振中:台美將開啟新一輪經貿談判