TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) met with US Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Luke Lindberg on Wednesday, underscoring agricultural trade ties.

In her remarks, the vice president said Lindberg’s visit carried symbolic significance, highlighting a deepening friendship between Taiwan and the US, per CNA.

Hsiao presented Taiwan’s premium pineapples and mangoes, thanking Washington for its decision to allow Taiwanese pineapples into the US market. She added that Taiwan’s tropical fruits are prized globally, while US apples and grapes remain among the most popular imported fruits in Taiwan.

Taiwan is the seventh-largest export market for US farm products, she explained, with strong demand for wheat, corn, beef, and other goods.

Hsiao noted that Agriculture Minister Chen Chun-ji (陳駿季) recently led a goodwill mission to the US to negotiate farm trade purchases. She said these efforts, combined with growing market openness, show how agriculture can be a pillar of cooperation.

Hsiao also pointed to Taiwan’s resilience after recent natural disasters in Hualien, where typhoons and landslides devastated farmland. She thanked the US for standing with Taiwan during these difficult times.