By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Taiwan Open to Negotiations With the U.S

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung stated Tuesday that the island is ready to engage in tariff negotiations with the United States at any time, aiming to ease trade tensions that recently rocked financial markets. His comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a steep 32% tariff on Taiwan, citing the island's significant trade surplus with the U.S.

Taiwan can have negotiations with the United States at any time on the tariffs issue, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on April 8 as the island’s stock market pared losses, having plummeted the previous day on trade fears.

Major semiconductor producer Taiwan, hit with a 32 per cent duty, was singled out by US President Donald Trump as among the US trading partners with one of the highest trade surpluses with the country.

Speaking to reporters at parliament, Lin emphasized Taiwan's willingness to discuss a broad range of economic issues with Washington, including U.S. investments, purchases, and non-tariff barriers. “As long as there is a confirmed time and method for negotiations, they can be discussed at any time with the United States,” he said.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung

The statement followed a turbulent day for Taiwan’s stock market, which suffered its biggest drop in history on Monday, falling nearly 10% amid fears of escalating trade tensions. On Tuesday, the market showed signs of stabilization, with the benchmark index trimming its losses to around 3% in morning trading.

Shares of TSMC, the world’s largest contract semiconductor manufacturer and a key player in global chip supply chains, also rebounded slightly, slipping just 1% after Monday’s plunge.

Taiwan, a major tech hub and a critical part of the global semiconductor ecosystem, has found itself in the crosshairs of growing U.S. trade enforcement. Analysts say potential negotiations could help de-escalate tensions and bring stability back to the market.

The Taiwanese government’s openness to dialogue may offer a path forward amid rising protectionist policies, providing hope to investors and global tech firms reliant on Taiwan’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.

“As long as there is a confirmed time and method for negotiations, they can be discussed at any time with the United States,” he added.

Taiwan’s benchmark stock index, which logged its worst fall ever on April 7, down almost 10 per cent, made up some of those losses on April 8 morning, falling around 3 per cent.

Shares in TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, also pared losses, with a drop of around 1 percent on April 8. 

Major semiconductor producer Taiwan, hit with a 32 per cent duty, was singled out by US President Donald Trump as among the US trading partners with one of the highest trade surpluses with the country.

Speaking to reporters at parliament, Lin emphasized Taiwan's willingness to discuss a broad range of economic issues with Washington, including U.S. investments, purchases, and non-tariff barriers. “As long as there is a confirmed time and method for negotiations, they can be discussed at any time with the United States,” he said.

 

 

For updates click hompage here