Taiwan still in talks after exclusion from Trump's new tariff list

Taipei, July 7 (CNA) Taiwan is still hoping it can reach a deal with the Trump administration in ongoing tariff talks after it was not among the first batch of 14 countries listed by the White House as facing high potential import duties on their goods.

A source familiar with the situation said the 14 countries on the list were there because the United States felt trade negotiations with them had not made progress, were not successful, or were not worth continuing.

They were therefore threatened with tariffs of between 25 percent and 40 percent starting Aug. 1 if they do not reach agreements before then.

Taiwan, on the other hand, is still engaged in talks with the Trump administration, and the U.S. side has repeatedly said the negotiations were making progress, the source said.

The European Union, which was also not on the list, was said to be in a similar position.

In a separate statement, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) was in Washington in talks on the tariffs, but no further details were provided.

Among the 14 countries on the list, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are facing tariffs of 25 percent, similar to the initial "reciprocal" tariffs the Trump administration announced on April 2 before saying there would be a 90-day pause on April 9.

With the end of the 90-day pause approaching, Trump said he would send letters to countries that did strike deals with the U.S. to tell them what tariffs they will face.