U.S. House members praise Taiwan's semiconductor leadership, security

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Visiting Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday hailed Taiwan as one of the United States' top "strategic" partners, highlighting its role as a world-leading semiconductor manufacturer, its respect for the rule of law, and its commitment to building secure supply chains.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is working on tariffs on Taiwan, which are meant to ensure that both sides can continue to have "unfettered" trade and economic growth opportunities, Representative Zachary Nunn of Iowa said at an investment forum held by the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of North America in Taipei.

"Taiwan is exactly the kind of partner that we should be elevating under a new trade opportunity," Nunn said, referring to Trump's tariff scheme.

"You are a democracy, you are a critical supplier of semiconductors, and you play by the rules of international commerce," he said.

Taiwan has world-leading semiconductor expertise, and the American Midwest has the manufacturing capacity to match, Nunn said, and he and his colleagues are working with the Trump administration to "anchor a supply chain that removes places like Taiwan from the crosshairs of a tariff regime that to some countries can be a challenge."

"As a result, we are decoupling from bad actors while building stronger relationships with good actors," Nunn said, echoing one of the forum's themes of building "non-red supply chains" free of Chinese components.

Representative Julie Fedorchak stressed that Taiwan is not part of the problem that motivated Trump to impose global tariffs, but "part of the solution" to Trump's vision for American economic growth and security.

The Trump administration is more "strategic" about partnerships, and Taiwan has consistently demonstrated commitment to fair dealing, transparent business practices, and values that align with the U.S., she said.

"For example, your semiconductor industry operates under the genuine rule of law and doesn't work against American interests," she said. "That's exactly the kind of partner we want to build with."

She argued that Trump's tariff scheme could deepen economic integration between Taiwan and the U.S. by building secure supply chains that work for America.

Representative Jefferson Shreve highlighted Taiwan's role as a reliable U.S. economic and security partner.

"These past few years have reminded us that supply chains matter. Resilience matters, trust matters, and over-dependence on the wrong places comes with real cost," Shreve said.

Taiwan understands that commerce and security go hand in hand, is a democracy and respects the rule of law, he said.

"That's why Taiwan matters to the United States. Taiwan is not just a trading partner, you're a strategic partner," he said.

The current Taiwan-U.S. relationship presents opportunities to strengthen supply chains, encourage investment and deepen economic ties with reliable partners, and "Taiwan ought to be at the top of the list," he said.

Representative Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin said his home state is known for its dairy and agricultural products and tourism.

There has been an increase in trade between Wisconsin and Taiwan and the state "wants to see that continue to expand," he added.