TAIPEI: Taiwan has reached a “general consensus” with the United Sates on a trade deal, the democratic island’s negotiators said Tuesday, after months of talks.
Taiwan and the United States began negotiations in April to hash out a trade deal after US President Donald Trump slapped a 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese exports, which was later lowered to 20 percent, as part of his sweep of measures against dozens of trade partners.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has pledged to boost investment in the United States and increase defense spending as his government tries to further reduce the levy on its shipments, as well as avoid a toll on its semiconductor chip exports.
“The goal of the US-Taiwan tariff negotiations has always been to seek reciprocal tariff reductions without stacking tariffs, and to obtain preferential treatment under Section 232 for semiconductors, semiconductor derivatives, and other items,” the Office of Trade Negotiations said in a statement, adding there was a “general consensus” on these issues.
Section 232 refers to part of the US Trade Expansion Act that allows tariffs to be imposed when national security is found to be at risk.
“Both sides are currently discussing the schedule for a concluding meeting, and an announcement will be made once it is confirmed,” the statement said.
Taiwan’s trade officials also vowed to provide “a complete explanation of the negotiations and the agreement” to the opposition-controlled parliament and the public.
American soil
Taiwan is a powerhouse in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips, which are the lifeblood of the global economy, as well as other electronics.
Trump has previously accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and his administration had made clear it wants more of the critical technology made on American soil.
The US government launched investigations under Section 232 into semiconductors and chip-making equipment last year.
Taiwan’s trade surplus with the United States was the seventh highest of any country in 2024, reaching $73.9 billion.
More than half of its exports to the United States are information and communications technology products, including semiconductors.
Lai has been at pains to find favor with Trump, vowing to raise defense spending to more than three percent of GDP this year and five percent by 2030.
TSMC, which is the world’s largest contract chip maker, also has pledged to invest an additional $100 billion in the United States.
But Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Chih-chung Wu told AFP recently that Taiwan planned to keep making the “most advanced” chips on home soil.
Taiwan says reached ‘general consensus’ with US on trade deal
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Taiwan says reached ‘general consensus’ with US on trade deal
- Taiwan has reached a “general consensus” with the United Sates on a trade deal, the democratic island’s negotiators said Tuesday, after months of talks
UN peacekeepers defy South Sudan military’s order to leave opposition-held town
JUBA, South Sudan: The United Nations Mission in South Sudan said Monday that it would not comply with a government order to shut down its base in Akobo, an opposition stronghold near the Ethiopian border where tens of thousands of refugees have fled.
On Friday, the South Sudanese army ordered UN peacekeepers as well as NGOs and civilians to vacate the town ahead of a planned assault.
But the mission refused to leave and said it would provide “a protective presence for civilians” in the town, adding that the safety and security of its personnel “must be fully respected at all times.”
The UN Mission said it was engaging “intensively with national, state and local stakeholders” regarding this order. “Any military operations in and around Akobo gravely endanger the safety and security of civilians,” said mission chief Anita Kiki Gbeho.
The South Sudanese government has been fighting opposition forces since a 2018 peace deal broke down about a year ago.
A dramatic escalation took place in December 2025, when opposition forces seized several government outposts in northern Jonglei. A government counter-offensive repelled their forces a month later and displaced over 280,000 people. Tens of thousands have sought refuge in Akobo, where a small contingent of UN peacekeepers is stationed.
Fearing the looming government assault on Akobo, humanitarian workers were evacuated over the weekend, and a mass exodus of the population has also begun.
Local officials contacted by the The Associated Press said fleeing civilians faced danger and widespread shortages of essential supplies. Dual Diew, the Akobo County health director, who has fled to Ethiopia, said there were 84 wounded patients at the hospital. “We have most of them with us here now,” he said, adding that they lack medicine and basic nursing equipment.
Christophe Garnier, the leader of Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan said the organization had to evacuate its staff from Akobo on Saturday and learned of the subsequent looting of its hospital and the ransacking of its office.
“People in Akobo must now either flee without protection or remain at risk of being killed, while losing access to health care and other essential services,” he said.
The three Western governments that have played a major role in the peace process — the U.S, UK, and Norway — sent a letter to President Kiir on Monday urging that the army’s evacuation order be revoked and warning of “further deaths, displacement and suffering for the South Sudanese people” if the offensive on Akobo is implemented.
