A delegation from the State of Florida met this week with officials from Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to advance trade, technology, and education partnerships as part of the 2025 Leadership Mission to Asia.
Led by Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, the discussions followed a memorandum of understanding signed in January that reaffirmed Florida and Taiwan’s economic relationship and outlined new areas for cooperation, including semiconductor manufacturing and advanced industry development.
The working session focused on assessing progress since the MOU signing and identifying next steps to deepen collaboration.
Officials said those efforts include exploring partnerships between Florida and Taiwanese universities and expanding cooperation in high-tech industries, particularly in semiconductor packaging, photonics, and microelectronics.
Florida’s technology capabilities in aerospace, aviation, defense, life sciences, and advanced air mobility were highlighted as complementary to Taiwan’s global semiconductor leadership.
“As Florida’s State Protocol Officer, I’m pleased Florida and Taiwan are taking steps to further solidify the partnership set forth in the Memorandum of Understanding,” Byrd said. “Advancing this agreement ensures our economic and diplomatic alliance remains focused on mutual prosperity.”
Kelly said the state is seeking “actionable outcomes” that translate into jobs and investment.
“Florida is taking deliberate steps to turn our strategic relationship with Taiwan into actionable outcomes,” he said. “From semiconductors to advanced manufacturing and talent development, we’re building the foundation for long-term economic growth and shared success.”
Taiwan’s International Trade Administration Director General Liu said the discussions align with Taiwan’s priorities in unmanned aerial systems and cybersecurity.
“Since Minister Ming-Hsin Kung took office at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the MOEA has actively advanced several key policy initiatives in such fields as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and cybersecurity, which highly align with the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both sides in January this year,” said Director General Liu. “Both sides could deepen cooperation in four ways: strengthening technological collaboration, enhancing industrial linkages, promoting investment, and expanding trade.”
Bilateral merchandise trade between Florida and Taiwan totaled $1.2 billion in 2024, making Taiwan Florida’s ninth-largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Taiwan imported $266 million in goods from Florida that year.
