Taiwan sends agricultural buying mission to U.S.

Taipei, Sept. 14 (CNA) Taiwan is sending a delegation to the United States to purchase American agricultural products, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Sunday.

This year's mission, officially titled "agricultural trade goodwill mission" and led by Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季), is visiting the U.S. from Sunday through Sept. 27, MOFA said in a press release.

The delegation is joined by representatives from the Vegetable Oil Manufacturers Association, Feed Industry Association, Flour Mills Association, Frozen Food Processors Association, and Association of Chain and Franchise Promotion, among others.

The U.S. Soybean Export Council, U.S. Grains Council, and U.S. Wheat Associates' Taiwan offices are also participating to enhance bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan, MOFA said.

The mission will first visit Washington, D.C., before splitting into three groups -- a soybean and corn group, a wheat group and a beef group -- to travel to different parts of the country, according to MOFA.

The soybean and corn group will visit Arkansas, Ohio and Indiana, while the wheat group will visit South Dakota, Montana and Idaho, and the beef group will visit Florida and Texas.

Each group will meet with local politicians and farmers' associations, MOFA said.

In 2024, Taiwan ranked as the eighth-largest export destination for the U.S., according to MOFA.

The top four U.S. export categories to Taiwan in 2024 included beef (US$709 million), soybeans (US$601 million), corn (US$384 million), and wheat (US$325 million), according to data available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.

This year marks the 15th such mission Taiwan's government will have sent to the U.S. since 1998.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in March that this year's mission is part of the government's efforts to reduce its trade surplus with the U.S., and aims to avert tariff increases imposed on Taiwanese imports by President Donald Trump's administration.

Delegation members on Taiwan's last agricultural trade mission to the U.S. in September 2022 signed three letters of intent with U.S. agricultural industry associations.

According to a news release issued by Taiwan's representative office in the U.S. at the time, the agreements covered the purchase of wheat, soybeans and corn at an estimated value of over US$3.2 billion in 2023 and 2024.