On July 27, 2026, Taiwan announced a major expansion of its regional trade initiative, rolling out a broader platform to deepen economic engagement with Belize and five additional diplomatic allies across the Latin American and Caribbean region. The newly inaugurated Latin American and Caribbean Trade Office (LACTO), which opened its headquarters in Taipei on Friday, replaces the decades-old Central America Trade Office (CATO), an initiative that previously only focused on advancing commercial ties with Belize and Guatemala.
Unlike its narrow-focused predecessor, the expanded LACTO extends its official remit to cover four more regional allies: Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The restructured office is designed to build a cohesive regional network that unlocks new growth opportunities across four key areas: cross-border trade, foreign direct investment, tourism cooperation, and private sector business partnerships.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung framed the institutional expansion as a landmark milestone for bilateral and multilateral economic collaboration between Taiwan and its regional partners. Speaking at the office’s opening ceremony, Lin emphasized that LACTO will serve as a centralized bridge connecting private enterprises across participating economies, streamline investment promotion processes, and strengthen long-standing commercial relationships rooted in diplomatic cooperation.
Augusto Chou-Fu Chan, the newly appointed executive director of LACTO, noted that the rebranding and expansion represent far more than a superficial institutional change. He explained that the overhaul comes with an expanded mission: to deliver hands-on support to small and medium-sized enterprises, foster cross-border industrial collaboration, and open new mutually beneficial economic channels between Taiwan and the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Moving forward, LACTO has outlined a clear agenda to advance its goals. The office will prioritize promoting high-quality goods and key industries from all six participating nations, ranging from agricultural commodities, fisheries products, and processed food to tourism experiences and greenfield investment opportunities. Planned activities to deliver on these goals include large-scale regional trade exhibitions, one-on-one business matchmaking events, cross-border procurement roundtables, and high-level official exchange delegations to strengthen personal and institutional connections.
As one of the two original partner economies served by the former CATO, Belize is positioned to continue reaping the benefits of the unified trade platform. The expanded office’s broader mandate will amplify global visibility for Belizean and other regional products, while actively targeting increased foreign investment flows from Taiwan to the region, supporting inclusive economic growth across all participating allies.