TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. and Taiwan are reportedly set to resume talks on a bilateral trade deal as early as today (June 10).

According to a Wall Street Journal report, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is preparing to begin discussions on trade and investment with her Taiwanese counterpart as soon as Thursday. The news follows a comment by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday (June 7) that trade talks with Taiwan would resume soon.

It appears that this may be an effort to revive the long-dormant Trade Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks, which were last held in 2016 under the Obama administration. The talks were shelved under the Trump administration by former Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who criticized Taiwan for its large trade surplus with the U.S. as he focused on a trade deal with China.

When asked to comment on the resumption of trade talks, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) told Taiwan News that the ministry will continue to work with the Cabinet's Office of Trade Negotiations, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, domestic economic and trade associations, as well as counterparts in the U.S., to "actively promote the resumption of Taiwan-U.S. TIFA talks." Ou said that relevant developments will be announced as they arise.