Eight local government leaders from cities and counties across Taiwan held an online meeting yesterday to discuss countermeasures in response to the 32-percent tariff on Taiwanese goods announced by US President Donald Trump last week.
In a joint statement after the meeting, the eight leaders urged the central government to act swiftly, protect workers and safeguard vulnerable industries.
They also called on the Legislature to expedite the approval of a proposed NT$88 billion (US$2.67 billion) assistance package for affected industries and businesses.
Photo courtesy of the Taichung City government
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) organized the virtual conference with the mayors and county magistrates of Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City, Miaoli County, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County and Chiayi City.
During the meeting, Lu said the tariffs would "severely impact" her city's export-driven manufacturing sector.
Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke (楊文科), acting Hsinchu City Mayor Andy Chiu (邱臣遠) and Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) all voiced support for the central government's proposed NT$88 billion assistance plan.
Changhua County Magistrate Wang Huei-mei (王惠美) stressed the importance of swift action, urging the central government to quickly understand the details of the US tariffs policy to help businesses make more informed decisions.
Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) raised concerns about potential company closures and employee layoffs, and urged collaboration between local governments to strengthen the social safety net for workers.
Chiayi City Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) recommended that aside from ensuring that state-funded banks do not tighten credit, the central government should also offer affected businesses preferential interest rates or tax reductions.
Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) called on the central government to ensure that vulnerable sectors like agriculture would not be "sacrificed" during tariff negotiations with the US.
The eight leaders -- six from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), one from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and one independent -- also urged the Democratic Progressive Party-led (DPP) central government to collaborate with local governments to help mitigate the potential impact of the tariff on Taiwanese businesses.
Meanwhile, the mayors of four KMT-run cities in northern Taiwan -- Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Keelung -- are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the potential impact of the Trump tariff on local industries and possible responses, according to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安).
Chiang said the mayors would exchange views on several issues, including the impact of the tariffs, subsidies, price monitoring, and industrial transformation.
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