The government has prepared a strategic plan and is ready to negotiate with the US on tariffs, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today.
The aim for negotiations would be to balance trade, Cho said, adding that he urges the public to have patience while negotiations are ongoing.
Speaking to reporters prior to a Legislative Yuan policy briefing today, Cho said that the world trade order is undergoing a major reorganization in response to US tariff policy, and in response, the government wants to stabilize domestic industries and prepare for negotiations.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Preparations have been made for tariff discussions with the US, including by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君), the Office of Trade Negotiations and the national security team, Cho said.
The US Department of Commerce yesterday said it would investigate semiconductor and semiconductor manufacturing equipment imports, along with the pharmaceutical industry, for potential new tariffs.
In response, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) told reporters that the ministry is prepared to respond to either drug price increases or drug shortages to ensure that the public maintains sufficient and safe access to medicines.
Taiwan imports about 10 percent of its drugs from the US, many of which are cancer drugs, Chiu said, adding that the ministry is prepared for the possibility of price increases.
In response to potential semiconductor tariffs, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) said that Taiwan is to simulate potential impacts and seek talks with Washington on the issue.
Also speaking to reporters outside the legislature, Kuo said he would seek to discuss the matter with the US and ensure "fair competition" for Taiwanese industry.
The Taiwanese and US chip sectors are complementary, he added.
"As to how much [the tariffs] could be, we will of course carry out simulations," Kuo said. "On the tariffs issue, we will try as hard as possible to communicate with the US side."
The level of chip tariffs would be "the outcome of talks," he added without elaborating.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Seven of the 17 NT$10 million (US$311,604) winning receipts from the November-December uniform invoice lottery remain unclaimed as of today, the Ministry of Finance said, urging winners to redeem their prizes by May 5. The reminder comes ahead of the release of the winning numbers for the January-February lottery tomorrow. Among the unclaimed receipts was one for a NT$173 phone bill in Keelung, while others were for a NT$5,913 purchase at Costco in Taipei's Neihu District (內湖), a NT$49 purchase at a FamilyMart in New Taipei City's Tamsui District (淡水), and a NT$500 purchase at a tea shop in New Taipei City's
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
RSS