American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Raymond F. Burghardt made the announcement in a press roundtable with local media, saying that the USTR delegation will be prepared to talk about any trade issues, including the possibility of touching on the issue of when Taiwan and the U.S. can begin exploratory talks on a bilateral investment agreement.

Burghardt is in Taiwan on a four-day trip to the country to brief President Ma Ying-jeou on U.S. President Barack Obama's recent talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing, as well as the U.S.

government's attitude on a number of other issues, including the controversy surrounding Taiwan's relaxation of its regulations on U.S. beef imports. He is scheduled to return to the U.S. Nov. 25.

Turning to the agenda of the long-stalled U.S-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks, which are expected to resume soon, Burghardt said they will include negotiations on avoiding double taxation, industry-specific issues concerning pharmaceutical products, and the further opening of Taiwan's market to U.S. agricultural products.

In the absence of formal diplomatic ties, the TIFA talks have become the most important official channel for Taiwan-U.S. dialogue on trade and economic issues since the agreement was signed in September 1994. The talks are usually hosted alternately by Taiwan and the United States on an annual basis.

The last TIFA talks took place in Washington, D.C. in July 2007 and the 2008 round should have been held in Taipei, but did not take place due to Taiwan's ban on U.S. bone-in beef imports.

Now that Taiwan has agreed to allow imports of U.S. bone-in beef and other beef products based on a protocol signed recently with Washington, the TIFA talks are expected to resume.

AIT Director William Stanton said Tuesday at the annual general meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce that the talks will take place early next year.

(By Rachel Chan)