Taiwan and New Zealand held a joint committee meeting on Monday, August 17, to review the implementation results of the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (ANZTEC) and establish cooperation directions for the next three years. The agreement has been in effect since December 2013.

The Economic Ministry said that the discussions covered past implementation results across various ANZTEC provisions, including food safety inspections and animal and plant quarantine, technical barriers to trade, e-commerce, film and television co-production, indigenous cooperation, trade and labor, and intellectual property.

The ministry said that both sides jointly adopted the text of the fourth ANZTEC comprehensive review, establishing cooperation directors for the next three years. Areas of focus include small and medium-sized enterprises, e-commerce, supply chains, food safety inspection and animal and plant quarantine, environment and trade, and indigenous cooperation. 

Taiwan expressed gratitude to New Zealand for jointly advancing these various areas of cooperation, and expressed hope that both sides will continue to review the agreement’s implementation and give it momentum when needed, so that it can evolve with the times and remain a cooperative platform responsive to the needs of both sides.