TAIPEI: Taiwan has despatched officers to Washington to debate doable United States tariffs by President Donald Trump, and has made preparations ought to they be imposed, Economic system Minister Kuo Jyh-huei mentioned on Saturday (Feb 8).
Tech companies in Taiwan, dwelling to the world’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC, face the likelihood Trump will comply with by way of on threats to place tariffs on imported chips after he accusing Taiwan throughout final yr’s marketing campaign of getting stolen American semiconductor enterprise.
Trump mentioned on Friday he plans to announce reciprocal tariffs on many economies by Monday or Tuesday, a serious escalation of his offensive to reshape world commerce relationships in methods he considers to be in America’s favour.
Chatting with reporters in Taipei, Kuo mentioned the ministry has made preparations for any US tariffs, declining to provide particulars.
Requested about chip tariffs, Kuo mentioned he had dispatched a deputy minister and a deputy part chief to Washington. He didn’t establish them or provide additional particulars.
They’ll “as a lot as doable give some relatively good explanations to Trump’s folks” about Taiwan’s chip business, he added, with out elaborating.
“Taiwan is the USA’ greatest associate.”
Taiwan has repeatedly mentioned its chip sector and US corporations have “win-win” cooperation.
However Taiwan runs a big commerce surplus with the US, which surged 83 per cent final yr, with the island’s exports to the US hitting a document US$111.4 billion, pushed by demand for high-tech merchandise comparable to semiconductors.
Kuo urged Taiwan might comply with Japan’s instance and import extra US vitality.
“In reference to Japan, he has nice willpower on the subject of vitality,” he mentioned, referring to Trump. “We hope we are able to fulfill US calls for on the subject of this.”
Japan will quickly start importing a document quantity of US liquefied pure fuel, Trump mentioned on Friday after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Australia and Qatar are presently Taiwan’s fundamental suppliers of LNG.
