Information Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
Friday, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson accepted a donation of medical face masks from Taiwan on behalf of the State of Mississippi. Director General Peter Chen of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, Texas, presented Commissioner Gipson with a box of medical face masks to represent the 100,000 masks that Taiwan has donated to the state to defend against COVID-19.
The donated masks have been delivered to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and are currently in the supply chain. Taiwan is sending an additional 10,000 N95 masks. Mississippi is one of the first states to receive the additional contribution of N95 masks from Taiwan.
“On behalf of the State Mississippi, I want to thank Taiwan for its generosity in providing 100,000 face masks so that our citizens and frontline workers have increased access to PPE to help protect against COVID-19. During this time, we continue to hear stories of how neighbors are helping neighbors. The State of Mississippi appreciates our ‘neighbors’ across the globe,” said Commissioner Gipson. “We are grateful for the masks as well as information on Taiwan’s response to COVID-19.”
Commissioner Gipson spoke of the mutually beneficial relationship between Mississippi and Taiwan. For the past year, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce has collaborated with the Mississippi Development Authority’s International Trade Office to strengthen trade relations between Mississippi and Taiwan.
Commissioner Gipson visited Taiwan in 2019 where he met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to promote Mississippi’s agriculture commodities. Following the trip, a delegation from Taiwan visited Mississippi as part of Taiwan’s Agricultural Trade Goodwill Mission. Commissioner Gipson signed letters of intent with Taiwan on behalf of the state which noted Taiwan’s desire to purchase Mississippi soybeans and corn in 2020 and 2021.
