TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The second phase of trade negotiations under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade has begun, Taiwan’s top trade negotiator John Deng (鄧振中) said on Tuesday (Aug. 29).

The negotiations focus on three major issues: agriculture, labor, and the environment, Deng said. Taiwan aims to expand its fruit exports to the U.S., he said at a briefing event.

Additionally, with increasing global attention on climate change and animal conservation, Taiwan faces difficulty in participating in international environmental agreements, Deng said, per CNA. Many related agreements include trade control measures that are unfavorable to Taiwan, he said.

The next round of talks will be conducted virtually and will hopefully conclude by the end of the year, he added.

On June 1, the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade was signed at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Washington Headquarters between Taiwan's Representative to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and AIT Managing Director Ingrid Larson.