U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Saturday that 20 electronic products would be exempt from President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, including smartphones, semiconductors, memory cards, computers, and more.
The devices will be excluded from Trump’s 10% global tariff on most countries and the 145% Chinese import tariff. The exemptions will likely benefit U.S. tech companies, including Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple, and are designed to allow companies to move production to within the country.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) commented on Sunday that formal negotiations with the U.S. had already begun, including reciprocal tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers, and export controls. Taiwan has strategically shown the U.S. its willingness to assume a key role in world trade, especially in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, according to Cho, who said he will continue to promote dialogue and cooperation.
The Premier said the situation continues to develop despite the reciprocal tariffs being suspended and that Taiwan’s government will face the reciprocal tariffs with an active response, steady negotiations, and efficient execution. If the government’s NT$88 billion (US$2.7 billion) industry support plan is not enough, Cho says they will increase it. Before the reciprocal tariffs are finalized, he is requesting companies hold back on cutting wages or laying off employees.