US business group hopeful for progress on stalled double tax deal with Taiwan

TAIPEI, June 16 (Reuters) – The head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan said on Tuesday he was hopeful of progress on a long-stalled double taxation agreement that could unlock more investment, given that Taipei and Washington have now agreed a post-tariffs trade deal.

Taiwan has pushed for the agreement to avoid double taxation to remove investment barriers, but it has been stalled in the U.S. Senate.

AmCham Taiwan President Carl Wegner, releasing the group’s 2026 White Paper, said he would be leading a delegation to Washington this week to have “door knock” talks with officials on how to boost bilateral trade.

“One of our key messages to Washington is talking about the dual taxation agreement. Out of the top 10 trading partners with the U.S., Taiwan is the only country without a dual taxation agreement,” he told reporters in Taipei.

Implementation would give better investment opportunities to both Taiwanese and U.S. companies, he said.

“We hear that it’s making progress – of course we’ve heard it’s been making progress for many years,” Wegner added.

“Hopefully with the ART it’s an opportunity to move this further forward in the near future,” he said, referring to the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade signed earlier this year which lowered initial U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese exports and Taiwan in turn committed to increasing purchases from the U.S.

With that agreement, Taiwan and the U.S. are now in a much better place than a year ago when U.S. President Donald Trump announced widespread tariffs on countries around the world, Wegner said. 

“It sets a good parameter, and I think people are quite happy with that opportunity,” he added.

The White Paper also said that Taiwan, a major semiconductor producer, is a vital partner for the U.S. in providing stability and security in the Asia Pacific.

“Due to their prowess in electronics, Taiwanese companies have been among global leaders in developing drones and other asymmetric-warfare equipment. Opportunities for cooperation with U.S. partners in R&D and co-production are enormous,” it said. 

AmCham Taiwan represents more than 500 corporate members and is marking its 75th anniversary this year.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

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