U.S.–Taiwan Trade Talks Reach ‘General Consensus’ on Tariff Relief

Overview

• Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said the discussions center on reciprocal tariff reductions and preferential treatment, noting a general consensus on those aims.
• The New York Times reported a potential announcement this month that would reduce the U.S. tariff on Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15%, citing unnamed sources.
• The Times also reported that TSMC would commit to building at least five additional semiconductor fabs in Arizona, a point not yet confirmed by the parties.
• Taipei confirmed U.S. approval of an arms sale worth $11.1 billion alongside the commercial talks.
• Negotiations followed President Trump’s 2025 tariff increase on Taiwanese exports to 32%, later lowered to 20%, with the process drawing close attention from China.