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Taiwan trade trip yields $15.6 million in sales

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator says his current mission to Taiwan has nothing to do with current trade talks with China. Ken Isley, completing the third day of the trip, told reporters the UDSA-led Taiwan trade trip was scheduled because of Taiwan’s standing as a U.S. customer.

“It is the first agriculture trade mission to Taiwan,” Isley told reporters in a conference call from Taipei, “I would tell you it’s probably long overdue given the importance of the Taiwan market and the various connections we have with them.”

Isley characterizes the market as solid and mature, although he cites 19 percent growth in agriculture export business to Taiwan last year, with significant increases in beef and poultry.

“The numbers we had were $515 million in beef sales, which was an increase of 25 percent,” said Isley. “My poultry number is $210 million last year, which was an increase of 21 percent.”

The U.S. is Taiwan’s number one agriculture supplier, according to Isley, accounting for one-third of that country’s food and agriculture imports. Forty-nine businesses are on the trip and have done business representing $15.6 million in projected sales so far.