On May 1, Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-Hsin Kung, together with Sandra Watson, President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke inaugurated the opening of the Phoenix-Taiwan Trade and Investment Center in Arizona.
Although Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs was unable to attend in person, she delivered congratulatory remarks via a pre-recorded video, which emphasized that the long-standing partnership between Arizona and Taiwan is stronger than ever.
The event marked the MOEA's second trade and investment service office in the United States. The Center will work with the Dallas-Taiwan Trade and Investment Center to support Taiwanese enterprises in layout planning for the U.S. market. Those enterprises are engaged in local manufacturing and innovation ecosystems, further advancing the Taiwan-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding on investment.
Minister Kung said that this visit to the U.S. was to attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Although the first stop in Arizona was brief, three major goals were achieved: First, leading industry representatives to meet with senior officials from the state and city governments, helping businesses grasp the local investment environment. Second, opening the trade and investment center will lead to local governments providing timely and professional services to investors. Third, exploring potential sites for developing industrial clusters in the U.S. based on the Taiwan model, and in line with the Taiwan-U.S. investment memorandum.
Governor Katie Hobbs, though unable to attend in person, expressed her congratulations via a pre-recorded video. She emphasized that Taiwan and Arizona have built an unprecedented close relationship based on friendship, mutual support, and a shared commitment to developing innovative technologies. She stressed that cooperation in the coming years will drive next-generation technological development and strengthen global supply chain resilience.
The MOEA stated that Arizona is Taiwan's third-largest trading partner in the U.S. In 2025, bilateral trade reached USD 21.24 billion, with Taiwan being Arizona's largest import source and second-largest export market.