Montana’s Gov. Greg Gianforte visited Taiwan last week to promote his state’s commodities, meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen and other officials and announcing new industry and educational partnerships.

“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,” 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.”

Promoting Montana agriculture, Gianforte met Oct. 30 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 Republican 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.

During their meeting Oct. 31, the governor and president reflected on Montana and Taiwan’s sister state relationship and discussed opportunities for economic collaboration.

“Montana and Taiwan share nearly four decades of history as trading partners and friends, built on our common values of individual liberty, innovation, and free enterprise,” Gianforte said after the meeting. “It was an honor to meet with President Tsai this morning to convey our appreciation for this longstanding partnership and our optimism for the future.”

Among the new partnerships Gianforte announced was a pact between the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Taiwan Ministry of Education Taiwan to create a Mandarin language program housed at the Mansfield Center within the University of Montana and an educational exchange program at Montana Technological University.

The governor announced a memorandum of understanding between the Montana Department of Commerce and the Importers and Exporters Association of Taiwan (IEAT) to grow and expand trade.

“Taiwan is one of Montana's most important trading partners, sharing our values of freedom and free enterprise,” he said. “I'm honored to lead a trade mission to Taipei to strengthen our longstanding relationship.”

Source: Office of Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte