REFERENCE TITLE: United States; Taiwan; supporting trade

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2024

HCR 2061

Introduced by

Representative Blattman

A Concurrent Resolution

supporting a closer trade partnership between the United States and taiwan.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, the trade in goods between the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) totaled an estimated $135.6 billion in 2022, with $43.7 billion in exports and $91.8 billion in imports, ranking Taiwan as the 9th largest trading partner of the United States; and

Whereas, 161 members of Congress signed a letter to the then United States Trade Representative on December 19, 2019, while 50 United States Senators signed a separate letter to him on October 1, 2020, both encouraging the United States government to work toward initiating negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan; and

Whereas, the initial agreement of the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade, signed on June 1, 2023, represented a milestone for United States-Taiwan trade relations, which will facilitate the development of a roadmap for negotiations on economic and trade agreements with highstandard commitments; and

Whereas, Taiwan was Arizona's ninth largest export market in 2022, reaching $765 million in total United States exports to Taiwan originating from Arizona. In total, more than 7,895 jobs in Arizona are supported by Taiwanese-affiliated companies and the exports of goods and services to Taiwan; and

Whereas, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has increased its investment from $12 billion to $40 billion to construct two advanced fabs in Phoenix, Arizona, making one of the largest foreign investments in United States history. These two fabs will create 10,000 highpaying, hightech jobs, including 4,500 direct TSMC jobs in Arizona over multiple years; and

Whereas, Taiwan's International Trade Administration, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Arizona Commerce Authority signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Economic Cooperation on October 5, 2021, aiming to foster further economic engagement and to establish or expand operations and supply chains cooperation between Taiwan and Arizona; and

Whereas, on July 12, 2013, the President of the United States signed into law H.R. 1151, an act supporting Taiwan's participation as an observer in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); and

Whereas, on March 18, 2016, the President of the United States signed into law S. 2426, an act directing the United States Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); and

Whereas, on March 26, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law S. 1678, an act stating that it should be the policy of the United States to advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's membership in all international organizations in which statehood is not a requirement and in which the United States is also a participant and for Taiwan to be granted observer status in other appropriate international organizations; and

Whereas, the United States Secretary of State issued a statement on October 26, 2021, encouraging all United Nations Member States to join us in supporting Taiwan's robust and meaningful participation throughout the United Nations system and in the international community; and

Whereas, the Arizona State Legislature passed resolutions in support of Taiwan's participation in international organizations, including INTERPOL and United Nations specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the ICAO and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), respectively, in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and

Whereas, the Taiwan Travel Act, signed into law by the President of the United States on March 16, 2018, allows officials at all levels of the federal government to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts and allows highlevel Taiwanese officials to enter the United States under conditions that demonstrate appropriate respect to those officials.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

1. That the Members of the Legislature support the negotiation of a United States-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement and support Taiwan's inclusion in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. 

2. That the Members of the Legislature support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations system, including WHO, ICAO and UNFCCC and support Taiwan's inclusion in INTERPOL.

3. That the Members of the Legislature acknowledge the achievements made by Arizona and Taiwan in the fields of economy, trade, technology, education and culture since the establishment of their sister-state relations on July 28, 1980, and encourage the continued bilateral cooperation and exchanges between the two states in the future.