Taiwan and US officials directly negotiated tariffs for the first time on Friday, the Taiwan government said on Saturday. Following the meeting, both sides look forward to more talks in the near future.
First Tariff Talks Held
Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, an official government body, said its officials were Part of a video conference call with their US counterparts. The US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity and were not identified, said. They included mutual tariffs between Taiwan and the US, non-tariff barriers to trade, and other economic and trade issues, including export controls.
Commitment to be Proactive in the Future
Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations added in a statement, “Both sides expect follow-up consultations… at an early date to jointly establish broad-based and sustainable Taiwan-U.S.-China economic and trade relations.” A query for a response submitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative after regular Washington business hours on Sunday was not instantly returned.
Background of Tariff Concerns
Taiwan, one of the semiconductor heavyweights, was facing tariffs as high as 32%. 1. Yes, UNFAIR—the Taiwanese government indeed had voiced its objection to these tariffs. Confronting this nexus, Taiwan readily offered ideas for the US—a zero-tariff regime, local investments, local purchases in Taiwan, etc.
Taiwan’s Economic Position
Taiwan viewed the United States as its most important ally and has long pursued a free trade pact with Washington, which has supplied weapons to the island. This has been practiced in such a way by both entities despite them not formally recognizing each other. An erstwhile entity, China, sees the island it rules by balloting as its part and has been confronting Taiwan militarily and political leadership more than ever. The government in Taipei always says the future of the island [Taiwan] can only be decided by her people.
