The US issued its first batch of tariff notification letters yesterday, although Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) today confirmed Taiwan has yet to receive one.
Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), who leads the Executive Yuan's Office of Trade Negotiations, are currently in the US negotiating on the tariff issue, the Executive Yuan said today.
In April, the US announced a 32-percent tariff in Taiwan, although it later announced a 90-day postponement period to negotiate a trade agreement.
Photo: Reuters
Fourteen countries, most notably Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, received letters notifying them of new tariff rates starting on Aug. 1, with the threat that retaliatory tariffs would lead to even higher rates.
Tariff rates for South Korea, Japan and Malaysia were set at 25 percent, 32 percent for Indonesia and 36 percent for Thailand.
An anonymous source said that the high tariff rates for this first group of countries are examples of negotiations stalling, failing or having been deemed unnecessary to continue.
The US has reportedly indicated that negotiations with Taiwan are progressing positively, the source said.
In a statement issued today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Taiwan and the US are currently engaged in discussions on tariffs and that the country continues to seek the best outcome in negotiations.
Developments would be announced to the public when available, the ministry said.
The Presidential Office today said that President William Lai (賴清德) had a video call with the negotiating team late last night.
In a 50-minute call, Lai expressed his gratitude for their months of work on trade discussions, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.
Lai emphasized that Taiwan has always sought to maintain positive relations with the US based off mutual benefit and has hope the negotiations would both balance trade and strengthen cooperation between the two countries, Kuo said.
The core mission of Taiwan’s negotiators is to safeguard national interests, public health and food security, Lai told them, Kuo said.
Taiwan’s exclusion could be an indication of positive developments in ongoing discussions between Taiwan and the US, political pundit and former Taiwan People's Party member Grace Woo (吳靜怡) said today in a Facebook post.
Hopefully, lawmakers in the Legislative Yuan understand the importance of strengthening US-Taiwan relations, Woo said, adding that Taiwan’s status as a democratic partner should help it ensure it is not “punished.”
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan and Chung Li-hua
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
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
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS