The importance of the Taiwan-Silicon Valley economic relationship was on display recently when a 40-member delegation of leading Taiwan telecommunications companies, led by Minister Kung Ming-Hsin of Taiwan’s National Development Council, kicked off their U.S. investment mission in San José .

The Taiwan delegation also attended the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Select USA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., a program to promote business investment in the U.S. which featured President Biden and several cabinet secretaries. 

The centerpiece of the delegation’s San José visit was the June 22 “NextGen Telecom” roundtable program which was held at San Jose State University.  NextGen Telecom highlighted business investment and partnership opportunities in the telecom sector.  Cary Ingram, senior ICT industry analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce, discussed broadband opportunities in next-generation networks, and representatives of leading U.S. companies highlighted opportunities in the U.S. and current U.S.-Taiwan telecom projects.

California and San José have long promoted two-way trade and investment linkages with Taiwan. Taiwan is California’s sixth largest trading partner and California’s $33.5 billion in two-way trade with Taiwan in 2021 accounted for 30 percent of total U.S.-Taiwan trade.  San José Metro area exports to Taiwan surpassed $1.3 billion, ranking fourth among all U.S. metro regions.  Taiwan is also a leading investor in San José , with many of Taiwan’s leading technology companies calling San José their U.S. home.

The NextGen Telecomm program was organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Office, San José; the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco; the American Institute in Taiwan; and Taiwan’s National Development Council.

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