Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei hosted a forum for representatives of small and medium enterprises Aug. 18 in Taipei City to facilitate discussion of fluctuating currency exchange rates, overseas market expansion and U.S. tariffs.

The 12th edition of the joint committee meeting under the Agreement Between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation was held Aug. 4 in Taipei City, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.

The Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) convened three research foundations-ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), FIRDI (Food Industry Research and Development Institute), and the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB)-to establish the DoIT pavilion, which held its opening ceremony at BIO Asia-Taiwan 2025.

The recent increase in US tariffs on certain products has impacted Taiwan’s agricultural and fishing products, particularly the orchid and Taiwan Tilapia, both of which rely heavily on overseas orders. Since Tainan is the nation’s largest producer of Taiwan Tilapia, the City Government is actively seeking new markets for local aquatic products. A recent success is an order of five tons of Taiwan Tilapia products from a Singaporean company.

The National Science and Technology Council and Ministry of Economic Affairs held a joint event July 4 in the southern city of Tainan to showcase progress in promoting artificial intelligence innovation and smart applications through the Taiwan Smart System Integration and Manufacturing Platform.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) held an opening ceremony for the Taiwan Health & Wellness Hub June 24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing the international visibility of the country’s health care advancements.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs staged a symposium on enhancing green competitiveness under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation June 17 in the southern city of Kaohsiung to deepen cooperation in the region and reinforce links to overseas markets.

Taiwan moved up two spots to 6th in the latest World Competitiveness Ranking 2025 published June 17 by Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development, according to the National Development Council.

The MOEA held a press conference on June 3 to celebrate Taiwan’s outstanding performance at the 2025 Edison Awards. Competing against over 400 global innovations, Taiwan secured 18 awards-its best record to date-and ranked second worldwide. The Edison Awards, often hailed as the “Oscars of Innovation,” are among the most prestigious accolades in the global innovation community. This year’s Achievement Award was also presented to NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang, underscoring the event's significance.

In response to the rapid expansion of demand in the global seafood market, Taiwan and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) are jointly holding the “Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability Applied in Aquaculture” to promote the use of AI to further technological and industrial upgrading in the aquaculture sector. The workshop is being held from June 3 to 6, 2025 in Tainan.