Facing the August 1 tariff limit set by former U.S. President Trump, Economy Minister Guo Zhihui said when he went to the Legislative Yuan for a project report on July 21 that tariff negotiations with the U.S. are still in progress. Although he himself is not a member of the negotiating team and cannot grasp the details of the negotiations, he emphasized that the government is doing its best to strive for tariff conditions that are favorable to Taiwan.
Zheng Lijun, vice president of the Executive Yuan, is expected to go to the United States for the fourth time to participate in negotiations, hoping to make progress before the deadline. Regarding the progress of the negotiations, Guo Zhihui pointed out that although the tax rate is not yet predictable, Taiwan will strive for better conditions than competing countries.
Under questioning, Zheng Zhengqian, a legislator of the Kuomintang, pointed out that at present, only Taiwan in East Asia has not yet completed the negotiation of tax rates. Trump has stated that if the negotiations are not completed before August 1, he will directly announce the reciprocal tariff rate, which may have an impact on Taiwan’s exports. In response, Guo Zhihui responded that the government will continue to work hard to seek the best results under uncertainty.
Lai Ruilong, a legislator of the Democratic Progressive Party, is concerned about whether we are striving for a tax rate range of 10% to 20%. Guo Zhihui said that the relevant figures have not yet been finalized, but the goal is to negotiate a competitive result.
In addition, in response to the issue of trade barriers involved in tariff negotiations, Zheng Zhengxuan asked whether GM foods will be used in nutritious lunches. In this regard, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junji said that the relevant policies of GM food are in charge of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, while the Ministry of Agriculture is concerned about food security and industrial sustainability, and will continue to maintain effective communication with relevant units.
The government stated that it will fully promote the negotiations before the deadline of August 1, hoping to strive for the most favorable conditions for Taiwan and ensure that industrial development and people’s livelihood interests are not affected.
