Taiwan president says US tariff issues are 'frictions between friends'

By AP pinch Indrabati Lahiri

Published on 20/05/2025 - 9:45 GMT+2

The Taiwanese president said connected Tuesday that waste and acquisition tensions betwixt nan United States and Taiwan were simply “frictions betwixt friends”, expressing optimism arsenic tariff negotiations proceed pinch Washington.

US President Donald Trump imposed 32% tariffs connected each imports from Taiwan arsenic portion of sweeping duties levied against each US trading partners past month.

The tariffs connected Taiwanese equipment were subsequently lowered to 10% for 90 days to let for waste and acquisition negotiations. Officials from some sides held a first information of talks past month, to beryllium followed by different successful nan coming weeks.

In a reside marking his first twelvemonth arsenic president and focusing connected Taiwan’s strategies to defuse nan effects of US tariffs and subject threats from China, Lai Ching-te struck an accommodating reside contempt nan tariff pressure.

The US and Taiwan person agelong “co-operated and person besides encouraged each different to grow,” he said. “There are bound to beryllium frictions betwixt friends, but they tin yet beryllium reconciled.”

“Even if location are differences of opinion, arsenic agelong arsenic location is simply a instauration of spot and sincere dialogue, they tin understand each different amended and deepen their friendship,” he added.

The US has traditionally been Taiwan’s strongest unofficial state successful nan look of subject threats by China, which considers nan self-ruled land its ain territory, to beryllium retaken by unit if necessary. Washington is bound by its ain laws to supply Taipei pinch nan intends to take sides itself.

Lai said Taiwan would proceed to fortify its nationalist defence capabilities, some done overseas subject procurement and home arms development, and guidelines “shoulder to shoulder” pinch its friends “to exert deterrent power.”

“We will hole adequately to debar warfare and execute nan extremity of peace,” he said.

He kept unfastened nan anticipation of talks pinch Beijing, saying that “Taiwan is very consenting to prosecute successful exchanges and practice pinch China” arsenic agelong arsenic location is communal respect and dignity.

Taiwan’s system is supported by monolithic semiconductor firms that proviso microchips globally arsenic good arsenic different electronics, precocious manufacturing and greenish tech makers.

Lai said he would proceed to promote overseas finance successful Taiwan, citing Monday’s announcement by American exertion institution Nvidia astir opening a caller agency successful bluish Taipei.

Nvidia’s Taiwan-born CEO Jensen Huang besides announced his institution would build an artificial intelligence supercomputer connected nan land successful business pinch TSMC, tech patient Foxconn and nan Taiwanese government.

He besides backed accrued investments by Taiwanese firms successful nan US.

In March, nan island’s largest chipmaker, TSMC, responded to Trump’s tariff threats by pledging a caller $100 cardinal (€88.7bn) finance successful nan US, successful summation to earlier commitments to put much than $65bn (€57.7bn) successful 3 factories successful Arizona, 1 of which began accumulation precocious past year.

However, Lai’s arguable connection to wholly region tariffs connected US equipment “on nan ground of reciprocity,” successful summation to expanding procurement of US products, triggered protests past week by Taiwanese farmers.