Governor Gianforte Promotes Montana Commodities, Industries in Taiwan

Celebrates memorandum of understanding to strengthen Montana’s advanced manufacturing industry

• October 30 2023

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Meeting with representatives from Taiwanese trade associations and importer groups, Governor Greg Gianforte today promoted Montana’s high quality commodities and growing industries to expand economic opportunities for Montanans in Taiwan.

“Taiwan is home to some of the most quality-driven buyers in the world, and Montana delivers – whether our superior grains and beef or world-class semiconductor machinery,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Montana is also seeing rapid growth in industries like photonics and bioscience, creating new opportunities to strengthen our partnership with Taiwan as a global powerhouse for technological innovation.”

Gov. Gianforte promoting Montana commodities and industries to representatives of the Taiwan External Trade Association and Taiwan Trade Office

Promoting Montana agriculture, Gov. Gianforte today met with the U.S. Wheat Associates and the Taiwan Flour Miller Association, the main importer of Montana wheat. Wheat is Montana’s largest export to Taiwan, totaling $32 million in sales.

Taiwan is also an important market for Montana cattle producers, with $16 million of Montana beef exported to Taiwan last year.

The governor then addressed bio and defense firms at a roundtable luncheon, spotlighting Montana’s photonics and bioscience industries. Montana ranks sixth among states for bioscience industry growth, and has one of the highest per capita concentration of optics, photonics, and quantum companies in the United States.

Later, the governor met with representatives from the Taiwan External Trade Association and the Taiwan Trade Office, and he joined his delegation to network with over 80 business members of the Taiwan-USA Industrial Cooperation Promotion Office (TUSA).

TUSA focuses on smart machinery, biomedicine, green energy, and the semiconductor industry. Industrial machinery, largely for semiconductor applications, is Montana’s second largest export to Taiwan.

There, the governor oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on advanced manufacturing between the Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance and TUSA, as well as Montana-based Quantum Composers and Taipei-based Hua Laser Electro-Optics Co.

Gov. Gianforte observing the signing of an MOU by Quantum Composers and Hua Laser Electro-Optics Co.

On Monday, Gov. Gianforte also received a briefing on Taiwan market trends from the American Institute in Taiwan, a U.S. private nonprofit corporation that performs U.S. citizen and consular services similar to those at embassies.

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