USA and Taiwan Deepen Ties with a Critical Trade Deal

Washington has long sought to become one of the world’s top semiconductor manufacturers. It has now taken the first step toward making it a reality. On Thursday, Taiwan and the US reached a trade deal that cuts tariffs on various Taiwanese chip manufacturers, directs new investment to the USA’s semiconductor manufacturing sector and risks infuriating China. This deal deepens Taiwan’s ties with the new Trump Administration at a time when China has Taiwan in the crosshairs, a country which China views as its own. 

The main areas of focus were the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Taiwanese companies, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturer. Under the deal, companies like TSMC, which have invested heavily in the USA, will be charged a lower tariff on semiconductors or realted manufacturing equipment they ship to the US and can import from the USA duty-free. Moreover, broad tariffs that apply to all products coming out of Taiwan are reduced fro, 20% to 15%. 

Moreover, the Department of Commerce shared that generic pharmaceuticals, aircraft components, and “unavailable natural resources” will remain tariff-free. In exchange, Taiwanese companies will invest over $250 billion in the USA to increase their production or manufacturing capacity of semiconductors, energy and artificial intelligence. This includes a whopping $100 billion already committed by TSMC, as per the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

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Lutnick said in an interview that the goal is to bring over 40% of Taiwan’s chip production to the US. He aslo shared that if Taiwan had rejected the offer, the tariffs would likely be 100%. He further said, “Look, they need to keep our president happy, right? Because our president is the key to protecting their country.”