Taiwan should be exempt from unfavorable U.S. trade actions: AmCham

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan) has expressed its concerns over the new tariffs the Trump administration plans to impose on Taiwan and called for the exemption of Taiwan from the new policy.

In a statement Tuesday on U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose 32 percent import duties on Taiwanese goods, AmCham Taiwan urged Taiwan's friends in Congress and across Washington to exempt Taiwan from trade actions that could hurt bilateral relations.

Arguing that the trade actions "could jeopardize the stability and trust underpinning the U.S.-Taiwan relationship," AmCham Taiwan also called on Washington and Taipei to accelerate talks on the issue.

AmCham Taiwan Chairperson Dan Silver stressed the importance of free and fair trade practices and sound economic policies that promote productivity and predictability.

"Certainty and stability are essential for our members to operate effectively and contribute to healthy, sustainable economic development," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

"We urge both governments to accelerate negotiations that reduce these duties to the lowest possible levels while ensuring transparency, clarity, and fairness in the process."

Silver also expressed support for President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) reaffirmation of Taiwan's commitment to the bilateral partnership with the U.S., including his call for reciprocal tariff reductions and greater market alignment.

"Taiwan has long acted in good faith to address trade imbalances and remains a reliable partner to the United States," Silver said.

Consistent with the views of most economists, AmCham Taiwan questioned the basis for the tariffs, saying that in Taiwan's case they overlooked the facts behind the trade imbalance with the U.S. and "the broader context of Taiwan's contributions to the bilateral economic partnership."

"As one of the world's most innovative economies...Taiwan has long contributed to U.S. competitiveness and resilience across key industries," the statement said.