Taiwan-US tariff negotiations have reached the final stage and progress is within sight, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told legislators today.
Both sides hope to conclude the talks as soon as possible, despite the US government shutdown, Cho said, pledging that the government would work hard to expedite the process.
Taiwan's exports to the US are currently subject to a 20 percent tariff.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
A decision on the tariffs is not up to Taipei, but some progress is expected soon, Cho said in response to a question from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) about whether the government could finalize a deal by the end of the year.
After the fifth round of in-person talks at the end of September, the two sides held another video conference during which progress was made, Office of Trade Negotiations Executive Secretary Benjamin Hsu (徐崇欽) said at the time.
The two sides are exchanging and discussing written documents, Hsu said, adding that a concluding meeting is to be held to finalize the deal once a consensus is reached.
During today’s legislative session, Lai also asked whether the government has conducted scenario planning regarding the US Supreme Court’s recent debate on the legality of US President Donald Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose reciprocal tariffs, requesting that the Ministry of Economic Affairs submit a report.
The US Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling, and a pre-emptive report might affect Taiwan-US interactions, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said.
The ministry is to submit a report within two weeks after the ruling is out, he said.
The government would fight for the rights of domestic manufacturers if a tariff refund mechanism is later established, he added.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
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