The Commercial Section of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) will lead a SelectUSA Investment Road Show to Taipei and Kaohsiung August 5 – 6, showcasing investment opportunities in six participating locations in the United States. The Road Show is the first of its kind in Taiwan, and part of a broader initiative to attract foreign direct business investment into the United States by qualified enterprises, either through merger and acquisition or green-field investment.
Representatives from Idaho, Maryland, McKinney City in the state of Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia will introduce their respective locations and highlight the advantages of business expansion. Taiwan businesses will learn about incentives in the areas of taxation, land acquisition, affordable energy, licensing, and logistics among other topics. Road Show participants will also learn about talent recruitment and retention, collaboration with local institutions of learning, and the advantages of conducting research and development in the U.S.
President Barak Obama established the SelectUSA initiative by Executive Order in June 2011, paving the way for the federal government to showcase the United States as the world’s premier business location and to provide easy access to federal-level programs and services related to business investment. SelectUSA is designed to complement the activities of the states—the primary drivers of economic development in the United States.
On March 24, 2015, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker concluded the second SelectUSA Investment Summit, making it clear to the more than 2,600 people from more than 70 markets attending the event at National Harbor, Maryland, that America is open for business. In her closing remarks Secretary Pritzker told investors that we welcome more investment to our shores and that there is no better time to invest in the United States. The Taiwan delegation was among the largest to attend the Summit.
The Select USA Road Show to Taipei and Kaohsiung this August will also feature one-on-one meetings between locations and potential investors, as well as crucial face-to-face networking opportunities. States and locations participating in the Road Show will also join the U.S. Trade Day on August 5, which is hosted by the Taiwan Board of Foreign Trade. As part of U.S. Trade Day, the AIT Commercial Section is co-organizing an investment seminar with the Department of Investment Services, Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Taiwan is among the top 30 investors in the United States with FDI stock nearing $10 billion, according to the latest Commerce Department statistics. Taiwan companies are significant R&D investors and have been eager to diversify their economic footprint and grow their FDI into the U.S. The SelectUSA initiative strives to create prosperity for the people and businesses of both Taiwan and the United States.
