The Center for International Trade Policy was originally founded in 2003 as the WTO Center. A decade later, as regional and bilateral economic integration gained momentum worldwide, it expanded its scope to cover regional trade agreements and rebranded as the Taiwan WTO and RTA Center. COVID-19 brings supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy to the forefront of policy thinking, while the intensifying US –China economic and technological competition gives rise to a new international order centered on economic security as well. To keep pace with these shifts and strengthen Taiwan’s think tank capacity and global engagement on trade policy, the Center underwent a second transformation in 2026, adopting its current name and placing economic security and supply chain resilience at the core of its research agenda.

The Center serves as a pivotal policy think tank for the government, delivering economic, legal, and industry analysis to support Taiwan’s engagement in international trade affairs. Its research covers two broad dimensions. The first encompasses traditional trade policy issues such as market access and its impacts, investment and services liberalization, regulatory harmonization, and non-tariff measures. The second addresses emerging areas including economic resilience and de-risking, economic security and autonomy, and the trade, economic, and technology policies of major partners such as the United States, Japan, and the European Union. Beyond research, the Center acts as a hub for connecting Taiwan with the international trade policy community, fostering cross-border collaboration and helping shape the global policy conversation.