Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) on Friday presided over the opening ceremony of the Taiwan Trade and Investment Service Center in Phoenix, Arizona, deepening Taiwan-US supply chain ties.
The Phoenix center is Taiwan’s second such facility in the US, after the first in Dallas.
The centers are expected to help Taiwanese companies expand to the US market, and participate in local manufacturing and innovation ecosystems, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs via CNA
Kung, who is leading a delegation to the annual SelectUSA Investment Summit, said Arizona was the group’s first stop.
The delegation also met with local and state officials to explore more opportunities for cooperation, he said.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said Taiwan and her state had built a close friendship and were committed to supporting each other in technological innovation, the ministry said.
Hobbs said she expected the two sides to continue cooperation in the coming years to build a resilient global supply chain, the ministry added.
The delegation also visited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) advanced fab in Phoenix, the chipmaker’s first facility there.
Kung said TSMC’s presence in Arizona showed that Taiwan had extended its reach into the US market and created many high-paying jobs, helping build mutual trust between the two nations and laying a solid foundation for supply chain cooperation.
The ministry said Arizona was Taiwan’s third-largest trading partner last year, with bilateral trade totaling US$21.24 billion.
Taiwan was also Arizona’s largest source of imports and second-largest export market, it added.
