IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1268 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 

should initiate negotiations to enter into a free trade agreement with Taiwan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 17, 2020 

Mr. RESCHENTHALER (for himself, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, and Mr. CHABOT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Ways and Means 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United States should initiate negotiations to enter 

into a free trade agreement with Taiwan. 

Whereas pursuant to section 2(b)(1) of the Taiwan Relations 

Act (22 U.S.C. 3301(b)(1)), it is the policy of the United 

States to ‘‘promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of 

the United States and the people of Taiwan’’; 

Whereas the friendship between the United States and Taiwan is based on a shared commitment to individual and 

economic freedom, shared values, and an appreciation for 

the blessings of liberty and democracy; 


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•HRES 1268 IH 

Whereas the United States and Taiwan enjoy a robust trade 

partnership, marked by the exchange of goods and services and international travel; 

Whereas Taiwan has shown an interest in strengthening its 

economic relationship with the United States by investing 

in technology manufacturing facilities located within the 

United States and agreeing to lift restrictions on the import of certain U.S. agricultural products; 

Whereas Taiwan has demonstrated a commitment to protecting intellectual property and individual freedom by 

serving as a leader in the responsible development of 

technology, as evidenced through a Joint Declaration on 

5G Security announced between the American Institute 

in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in August 2020; 

Whereas Taiwan has played an integral role in the global 

supply chain during the coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly known as ‘‘COVID–19’’) pandemic, producing 

massive amounts of masks at the time when masks were 

most scarce and ensuring that this critical tool was available to individuals around the world; 

Whereas the United States has consistently supported peaceful relations between Taiwan and the People’s Republic 

of China, and respected the provisions of both the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and the Six 

Assurances offered by President Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China has shown a hostility 

to Taiwan, aggressively asserting its military power, 

using coercive economic measures to keep Taiwan ecoVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:10 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1268.IH HR1268

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nomically dependent on the People’s Republic of China, 

and seeking to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the world; 

Whereas the policy of the United States is to advance a free 

and open Indo-Pacific region, and achieving that vision 

must include working with like-minded countries in the 

region to liberalize trade; 

Whereas the United States is currently Taiwan’s 2nd largest 

trading partner, and Taiwan is the 10th largest trading 

partner of the United States in goods and 11th largest 

trading partner overall; 

Whereas Taiwan has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 2002; 

Whereas bilateral trade in goods between Taiwan and the 

United States increased from $62,000,000,000 in 2010 

to $86,000,000,000 in 2019, according to the United 

States Census Bureau; 

Whereas Taiwan’s foreign direct investment stock in the 

United States was $11,100,000,000 as of 2019; 

Whereas trade with Taiwan supports an estimated 208,000 

United States jobs according to estimates of the United 

States Department of Commerce as of 2015; 

Whereas closer engagement with Taiwan through trade negotiations would encourage even greater access to Taiwan’s 

market and would benefit both security and economic 

growth for the United States, Taiwan, and the Indo-Pacific region; 

Whereas it is essential that a free trade agreement negotiated 

between the United States and Taiwan lower tariff and 

nontariff barriers to trade, including meaningfully expanded access to agricultural markets and ensuring that 


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science-based standards govern international trade in animals and animal products; 

Whereas the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and 

Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.) enables the President to negotiate reciprocal reductions of 

nontariff barriers while preserving the authority of Congress over foreign trade as required by section 8 of article I of the Constitution of the United States; 

Whereas the procedures laid out in the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 

were designed by Congress to maintain the sovereignty of 

Congress over trade; and 

Whereas for legislation implementing a trade agreement to 

qualify for trade authorities procedures under the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability 

Act of 2015, the trade agreement is required to make 

progress toward achieving the applicable objectives, policies, and priorities set forth by Congress in that Act, and 

failure by the administration of a President to adhere to 

the trade negotiating objectives and notification and consultation requirements established by Congress renders a 

trade agreement ineligible for fast-track consideration: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States should initiate negotia3 tions to enter into a free trade agreement with Taiwan. 

Æ 


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