Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced on Monday that the first phase of tariff talks with the United States had gone “smoothly,” expressing hopes that the process will pave the way for a stronger trade relationship under what he described as a “Taiwan plus one” model — referring to deeper cooperation between Taiwan and the US.
Speaking at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai told university alumni representatives that Taiwan has a history of overcoming economic challenges and will use this moment to reshape its global trade strategy. “Taiwan has started negotiations with the United States, and the first phase of the negotiations went smoothly,” Lai said, according to a statement from his office.
The talks follow previous plans by the Trump administration to impose a 32% tariff on Taiwanese goods, which were paused to allow negotiations. Taiwan, home to major semiconductor firms like TSMC — the world’s largest contract chipmaker — is a critical player in the global tech supply chain.
In line with Taiwan’s strategic shift away from economic dependence on China, Lai reaffirmed his government’s commitment to pursuing a zero-tariff agreement with the US and increasing mutual investment and trade. TSMC recently announced an additional $100 billion investment in the United States, underlining the growing business ties between the two economies.
Taiwan is also actively seeking broader trade partnerships. Lai highlighted that Taiwan has been signing trade and investment protection agreements with countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, and reiterated Taiwan’s aspiration to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
“By resolving trade barriers multilaterally, we can allow Taiwanese products to be sold around the world,” Lai added, positioning Taiwan as a proactive and resilient global trade partner amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
Melissa Enoch
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