Taiwan, U.S. complete 'technical consultations' on trade: Cabinet

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Taiwan has completed "technical consultations" on tariffs and other trade issues with the United States, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news briefing in Taipei on Thursday.

Lee said both sides "have reached a certain level of consensus" on tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, investment and procurement, supply chain resilience, and economic security, among other issues.

● UPDATE: U.S. sets 20% tariff on Taiwan goods

Declining to provide further details about the negotiations, the spokesperson suggested there would be a joint statement, which awaits a nod from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Lee said the government's position during the talks was to "protect national and industrial interests, and ensure food security and public health."

"We will firmly uphold our position," she added.

With Trump's self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline approaching, Taipei -- which entered negotiations with the U.S. shortly after the U.S. president announced sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs on foreign countries in early April -- is under mounting pressure to strike a deal with Washington.

Japan, South Korea, the European Union, and several Southeast Asian countries have reached trade agreements with the Trump administration, agreeing to open their markets to more U.S. goods and committing to significant investment in and procurement from America in exchange for tariffs ranging from 15 to 20 percent.

The U.S. initially imposed a blanket tariff of 32 percent on most Taiwanese goods, with semiconductor products exempted for separate negotiations.

Shortly after Trump's announcement, which simultaneously targeted more than 100 countries and regions with different tariff rates, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) indicated his administration's willingness to discuss "bilateral zero tariffs" with the U.S.

Some industries, particularly those in agriculture, expressed concerns over this idea, noting that opening up the Taiwanese market to American agricultural products would hurt domestic producers.

Taipei has also publicly expressed its intention to increase purchases of American goods, raise defense spending, and address concerns flagged by Washington over transshipment and trade imbalances.