Striking Trade Accord: Taiwan-U.S. Consultations Progress

Significant headway has been made in trade discussions between Taiwan and the United States, as technical consultations draw to a close and document exchanges are actively proceeding, as announced by Taiwan's delegation at the APEC summit in South Korea on Friday.

Ongoing negotiations focus on alleviating the hefty 20% tariff on Taiwanese exports, crucially excluding semiconductors. Taiwan's prominent trade negotiator, Jenni Yang, recently conferred with U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer, discussing avenues to bolster bilateral trade and economic relations.

While Taiwan rebuffs a 50-50 semiconductor production split proposal from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, it is open to forming a high-tech strategic alliance with the U.S., looking to attract Taiwanese investment, given Taiwan's dominant role in the semiconductor market.