US President Donald Trump’s tariff and trade policies announced earlier this month would significantly affect global supply chains, although Taiwan would use the opportunity to bolster bilateral trade relations and economic cooperation, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during a meeting with the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce North America at the Presidential Office.
Lai praised the organization for playing a vital role in bridging the gap between Taiwanese businesses and markets across the Pacific, improving US-Taiwan economic relations and deepening interpersonal relationships.
The chambers have sent a delegation to Taiwan every year since their establishment in 1988.
Photo: CNA
The organization sent a group to Washington to lobby top US Congress members on five major policies related to Taiwanese trade, economics and national defense, Lai said.
He thanked the organization for its efforts, which were largely supported by members of the US Congress.
In the face of a rapidly shifting global landscape, Taiwan needs even more support from the chambers to speak up for Taiwanese interests, he said.
In light of Trump’s plans to impose a 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese goods, the government has established a task force to enter negotiations with Washington, Lai said.
The government also plans to provide a support package of 20 measures across nine focus areas to protect the interests of Taiwanese industries and prop up domestic businesses that would be most affected by the tariffs, he said.
Lai said he hopes that overseas Taiwanese businesses can provide advice and assistance in leveraging new global supply chains and enhancing Taiwan-US cooperation, he added.
Lai said he and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) have spent the past two weeks touring businesses around Taiwan to hear the opinions of industry leaders and ensure that government policies can offer support where it is most needed.
Negotiations are under way and progressing smoothly between Taiwan and the US regarding tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday morning in an interview before reporting to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the US, has established communication channels with the US Department of State and the US trade representative, while officials, including Representative to the US Alexander Yui (俞大?) are engaging in intensive discussions, he said.
Points of negotiation include tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and issues related to investment, procurement and export controls, he added.
The government would also monitor negotiations between the US and Japan and other countries that have been subject to the new tariffs to inform its discussions with the US, he said.
In related news, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon is leading a trade delegation to Taiwan, which arrived on Saturday and is to depart today.
The Wyoming Energy Authority is to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Taiwan Association of Quantum Computing and Information Technology to initiate bilateral cooperation in quantum technology development.
The delegation would also engage in discussions on Taiwan-US trade, particularly as it relates to projects and exchanges with Wyoming, Lin said.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or