Senate Bill sb2844

    Florida Senate - 2006        (NP)                      SR 2844

    By Senator Aronberg





    27-2236-06

  1                        Senate Resolution

  2         A resolution in support of friendship and trade

  3         with Taiwan.

  4  

  5         WHEREAS, for more than 50 years a close relationship

  6  has existed between the United States and Taiwan, which has

  7  been of enormous economic and cultural advantage to both

  8  countries, and

  9         WHEREAS, Taiwan has demonstrated a commitment to

10  democratic ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press,

11  and free and fair elections routinely held in a multiparty

12  system, as evidenced by the March 18, 2000, election of Chen

13  Shui-bian as Taiwan's new president, and

14         WHEREAS, Taiwan is a democracy with a complementary

15  economy to the United States and a peace-loving culture that

16  shares our cherished values of freedom and human rights, and

17         WHEREAS, on January 1, 2002, Taiwan was officially

18  admitted into the World Trade Organization under the name of

19  Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu

20  (TPKM), and this will reduce Taiwanese tariffs and open market

21  access to foreign investment, and

22         WHEREAS, the United States is Taiwan's largest trading

23  partner and Taiwan is the eighth largest trading partner, the

24  tenth largest export market, and the fifth largest

25  agricultural export market for the United States, and

26         WHEREAS, the International Trade Commission (ITC)

27  reports that a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and

28  the United States would help to increase United States exports

29  to Taiwan by up to an estimated 16 percent (worth $3.4 billion

30  in United States currency) and total economic trade between

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006        (NP)                      SR 2844
    27-2236-06




 1  the United States and Taiwan by up to $10.4 billion in United

 2  States dollars, and

 3         WHEREAS, the people of the State of Florida derive

 4  great benefit from our relationship of economic cooperation

 5  and cultural exchange with the people of Taiwan, as evidenced

 6  by the establishment of the Taipei Economic and Cultural

 7  Office in Florida and the State of Florida Taipei Office in

 8  Taiwan, and

 9         WHEREAS, Florida's exports to Taiwan in 2005 were

10  approximately $56.5 million, a 10.5-percent increase over

11  exports in 2004, and

12         WHEREAS, Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health

13  Organization would promote its ability to adequately safeguard

14  its population against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS,

15  Dengue Fever, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),

16  NOW, THEREFORE,

17  

18  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

19  

20         That the members of the Senate support the negotiation

21  of a Free Trade Agreement between the United States and

22  Taiwan.

23         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Senate

24  support Taiwan's efforts to be accepted as an observer at the

25  World Health Assembly and the Health Network of the World

26  Health Organization.

27  

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