Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), the nation’s top trade negotiator, yesterday said Taiwanese firms’ practice of exporting to the US products made of steel and aluminum from China was the reason that Taiwan has not been exempted from tariffs announced by Washington.
Deng, who is returning to Taiwan after leading a delegation to the US on Sunday last week to seek a tariff exemption, made the remark in a telephone interview with the Central News Agency.
The nation’s unsuccessful attempt to be included in the list of exemptions reflected Washington’s concerns that some Taiwanese firms import steel and aluminum from China and process them into finished goods before selling them to the US market, Deng said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs seem to be aimed at curbing alleged dumping of Chinese steel and aluminum products in the US, he said.
Washington might be hoping to work with other nations to stop this situation, he added.
Deng said that after returning to Taiwan early today, he would meet with local exporters to map out a solution.
Despite the setback, he said the government would continue to try to convince the US to exempt Taiwan as a whole, while encouraging individual exporters to seek their own exemption.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs would provide assistance to individual firms that wish to seek an exemption, he added.
The temporary exemption list would not take effect until a formal notice is released by the end of next month, Deng said, adding that Washington welcomes other nations to enter into talks with its trade office for an exemption.
On March 8, Trump signed an order under Section 232 of the US’ Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum.
The duties took effect on Friday.
It was the first time in more than three decades that the law has been invoked to protect a US industry from competition from imports.
On Friday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told a US Senate panel that Trump has decided to grant a temporary exemption to the EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and South Korea as it carries out further negotiations with them.
However, the order signed by Trump leaves open a door to other nations that want to get tariff waivers, as long as they are able to offer a satisfactory alternative during talks with the Office of the US Trade Representative.
While in the US, Deng met with many US government officials and academics from major think tanks, as well as representatives from the business sector, which he said helped him gain a better understanding about the tariff issue.
Deng said he would report to Premier William Lai (賴清德) as soon as possible to discuss whether he will lead another delegation to Washington.
Taiwan’s steel product exports to the US totaled US$1.3 billion last year, accounting for 13.16 percent of the nation’s total exports, while aluminum product exports totaled US$44 million, or 6.15 percent of total aluminum exports, the ministry said
Last year, the US was the largest buyer of the nation’s steel products and the sixth-largest buyer of aluminum products, it said.
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
A Vietnamese migrant worker yesterday won NT$12 million (US$379,627) on a Lunar New Year scratch card in Kaohsiung as part of Taiwan Lottery Co’s (台灣彩券) “NT$12 Million Grand Fortune” (1200萬大吉利) game. The man was the first top-prize winner of the new game launched on Jan. 6 to mark the Lunar New Year. Three Vietnamese migrant workers visited a Taiwan Lottery shop on Xinyue Street in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (崗山), a store representative said. The player bought multiple tickets and, after winning nothing, held the final lottery ticket in one hand and rubbed the store’s statue of the Maitreya Buddha’s belly with the other,
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan. The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, as well as US$150 million for the replacement of defense articles and reimbursement of defense services provided to Taiwan. The fund allocations were based on the US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 that was passed by the US Congress last month and authorized up to US$1 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in support of the
‘COMMITTED TO DETERRENCE’: Washington would stand by its allies, but it can only help as much as countries help themselves, Raymond Greene said The US is committed to deterrence in the first island chain, but it should not bear the burden alone, as “freedom is not free,” American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene said in a speech at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s “Strengthening Resilience: Defense as the Engine of Development” seminar in Taipei yesterday. In the speech, titled “Investing Together and a Secure and Prosperous Future,” Greene highlighted the contributions of US President Donald Trump’s administration to Taiwan’s defense efforts, including the establishment of supply chains for drones and autonomous systems, offers of security assistance and the expansion of
RSS