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Treats Taiwan as if it were a country listed in the specified subsections of 22 U.S.C. 2753 for purposes of applying and administering those provisions for the 5-year period beginning on enactment, with authority to continue in additional 5-year periods under conditions in subsection (c).
Treats Taiwan as if it were a country listed in the specified subsections of 22 U.S.C. 2761 for purposes of applying and administering those provisions for the 5-year period beginning on enactment, with authority to continue in additional 5-year periods under conditions in subsection (c).
Treats Taiwan as if it were a country listed in the specified portions of 22 U.S.C. 2776 for purposes of applying and administering those reporting and certification provisions for the 5-year period beginning on enactment, with authority to continue in additional 5-year periods under conditions in subsection (c).
Treats Taiwan as if it were a country listed in section 62(c)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2796a(c)(1)) for purposes of applying and administering that certification/reporting provision for the 5-year period beginning on enactment, with authority to continue in additional 5-year periods under conditions in subsection (c).
Treats Taiwan as if it were a country listed in section 63(a)(2) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2796b(a)(2)) for purposes of applying and administering that legislative review procedure for the 5-year period beginning on enactment, with authority to continue in additional 5-year periods under conditions in subsection (c).
Designates Taiwan as a member of a proposed "community of states" (a NATO‑Plus grouping) and directs that, for five years after enactment, Taiwan be treated the same as listed foreign countries under specified Arms Export Control Act and related authorities when applying and administering U.S. arms export laws. The Secretary of State may renew that equal treatment for additional five‑year periods if the Secretary certifies it serves U.S. national security interests and provides advance notice to congressional committees. The bill also records Congress’s findings about Taiwan’s trade and defense relationship with the United States and links the new designation to how Congress should consider Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Taiwan. There is no new appropriation; the measure changes legal treatment and administrative authorities for arms export and oversight procedures.
Taiwan is the 7th largest trading partner in goods with the United States.
Taiwan is recognized by 12 countries as an independent state and is treated by the United States as a major non-NATO ally for purposes of transfers of defense articles or services under section 1206 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003.
The unclassified summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy prioritized protecting America’s allies and partners, stating U.S. defense objectives include defending allies from military aggression, bolstering partners against coercion, and fairly sharing responsibilities for common defense.
The Taiwan Relations Act states the United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.
Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, Congress has for more than four decades approved numerous defense articles and services for Taiwan’s self-defense, including (since 2017) HIMARS, F–16 C/D fighter jets, M142 launchers, MK 48 heavyweight torpedoes, Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems, Stinger man-portable air defense systems, M109A6 Paladin howitzers, MS–110 Airborne Reconnaissance Systems, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods, and Field Information Communications Systems.
Primary direct effects: Taiwan will receive a legally defined, time‑limited elevation in how U.S. arms export laws are applied and administered, likely smoothing or clarifying some administrative aspects of Foreign Military Sales and related export procedures. That change could benefit Taiwanese defense acquisition planning and U.S. defense contractors and suppliers involved in sales to Taiwan by creating a predictable legal framework for five years (and potentially longer if renewed).
Administrative impact: The Department of State will implement the change and must perform the national security finding and congressional notification to renew treatment; the Department of Defense and U.S. export control offices will apply the designated statutory provisions to Taiwan during the covered period. Congress retains oversight via the notice requirement and through its existing FMS and export control authorities.
Foreign policy and strategic impact: The designation is a symbolic and policy signal strengthening U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan; it could prompt diplomatic reactions from other governments, particularly the People's Republic of China, and may affect regional security perceptions among U.S. allies and partners. While the measure does not create a mutual‑defense commitment, it formalizes preferential arms‑export treatment that could alter Taiwan’s defense posture and U.S. arms sales patterns.
Legal and programmatic limits: The change does not create appropriations, new programs, or explicit spending obligations for states or localities, and it does not alter tax policy. The Secretary of State’s renewal authority provides flexibility but concentrates renewal discretion in the executive branch with a short notification window for Congress.
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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Introduced May 21, 2025 by Scott Perry · Last progress May 21, 2025
Taiwan PLUS Act
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House