The Republic of Somaliland Representative Office in Taiwan held constructive discussions with the leadership of EximBank Taiwan during a visit to the Bank’s headquarters, with a focus on practical opportunities to expand trade, commerce, and business engagement between the Republic of Somaliland and Taiwan (ROC).
H.E. Ambassador Mahmoud Adam Jama Galaal met with Mr. Fu-Hua Hsieh, President of EximBank Taiwan; Mr. Ming Feng Tsai, Senior Vice President and General Manager; Mr. Andy H.M. Chen, Senior Vice President and General Manager; and Ms. Nicole C.C. Chan, Vice President and Deputy General Manager.
The Ambassador was accompanied by Dr. Abdiqani Musa Hassan, First Secretary; Mr. Ridwan Abdirahman Hassan, Second Secretary; and Mr. Allen Shen, Executive Secretary.
The discussions focused on identifying practical mechanisms to facilitate greater trade and commercial engagement between Somaliland and Taiwan, as well as opportunities to strengthen connections between businesses and financial institutions on both sides.
Somaliland offers significant potential as an emerging trade and investment gateway in the Horn of Africa. Its strategic location along the Gulf of Aden places it close to one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes, while the continued development of Berbera Port, the Berbera Corridor and the Berbera Economic Zone is strengthening the country’s connectivity with regional and international markets.
Berbera Port has developed modern container and general cargo infrastructure, including a deep-water terminal capable of handling major container vessels. The adjacent Berbera Economic Zone provides serviced industrial land, warehouses, logistics facilities and opportunities for manufacturing, assembly, distribution and other value-added commercial activities. Together, these facilities position Somaliland to serve not only its domestic economy but also the wider Horn of Africa market.
Somaliland also presents considerable opportunities for international businesses in livestock and livestock processing, fisheries, agriculture and food processing, logistics and warehousing, energy, manufacturing and other emerging industries. Developing value chains in these sectors could enable Somaliland to move beyond the export of primary commodities toward greater processing, value addition and regional trade.
For Taiwanese companies, Somaliland therefore offers opportunities both as a growing domestic market and as a potential platform for accessing markets across the Horn of Africa. Taiwan’s strengths in manufacturing, technology, agricultural development, SMEs and trade finance could complement Somaliland’s natural resources, strategic location and expanding trade infrastructure.
Ambassador Galaal expressed his sincere appreciation to President Fu-Hua Hsieh and his distinguished colleagues for their warm welcome and open and productive exchange.
The Representative Office looks forward to continuing its engagement with EximBank Taiwan and other relevant institutions to translate the strong partnership between the Republic of Somaliland and Taiwan (ROC) into greater trade, investment and tangible opportunities for businesses and people on both sides.
