UK Trade Minister Douglas Alexander is visiting Taiwan for the 27th annual round of UK-Taiwan trade talks, aimed at expanding investment and exports in line with the UK’s new Trade
Strategy. The visit, taking place from 29–30 June, underscores the UK’s commitment to strengthening ties with Taiwan, with bilateral trade already reaching £9.3 billion in 2024.
During the visit, Minister Alexander will co-chair trade discussions with Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Cynthia Kiang. A key highlight will be the signing of the UK-Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) pillars, covering Investment, Digital Trade, Energy, and Net Zero — all strategic areas for economic growth.
Trade Minister Douglas Alexander said:
“We share a long-standing trade relationship with Taiwan and our trade reached an all-time high last year, but we know there are still more opportunities for British businesses to take advantage of opportunities in this dynamic economy.
The new Enhanced Trade Partnership Pillars will help us boost trade in some of our growth-driving sectors, delivering economic growth and helping put more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change”.
The visit builds on the UK Government’s newly released Trade Strategy, which prioritizes aligning trade policy with sectors that fuel economic growth. The UK has also completed digital trade pilot projects with companies such as Clas-SIC Wafer Fab, Kimbland Distillery, and Skene Whiskey, moving toward a more efficient, paperless trade process with Taiwan.
Taiwan, the world’s 22nd largest economy in 2024, is a key player in global sectors like digital tech and advanced manufacturing—areas where the UK sees strong alignment and commercial opportunity.
As part of the visit, Minister Alexander will also meet with President Lai, reinforcing the UK’s long-standing unofficial relationship with Taiwan. The ETP signing ceremony will be held between British Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones and Taiwan’s Representative Vincent Chin-Hsiang Yao.
These developments are expected to benefit both UK businesses and consumers, providing better market access and driving economic cooperation in vital sectors. Photo by 毛貓大少爺, Wikimedia commons.