Vice premier confirms ongoing car tariff talks but gives few details

Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) United States car imports are part of ongoing tariff talks with Washington, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said Monday, but she offered few details on the talks on cars or other products.

Speaking at the Legislative Yuan for the first time since the U.S. announced on July 31 that many goods from Taiwan would face a baseline tariff of 20 percent, Cheng said tariffs on U.S. car imports and compliance with safety and emissions standards were still being negotiated.

She was responding to a question about whether the United States had demanded zero tariffs on American-made vehicles imported into Taiwan.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said there were already widespread rumors about zero tariffs and that the United States had already made similar demands of Japan and South Korea.

Cheng acknowledged that Washington has expressed the hope for greater openness and expanded market access for U.S. vehicles, without providing further details.

Technical aspects were also being discussed, the vice premier said, adding that the outcome would be presented to the Legislature and the public once finalized.

Cheng said she has held three video conferences with U.S. officials since returning to Taiwan on Aug. 1.

The talks remained focused on the goals of securing a better tariff rate, ensuring a fair process under U.S. trade law, and preventing stacked tariffs (when multiple tariffs apply to the same imported product), Cheng said.

More specifically, she said, they also covered Section 232 under the Trade Expansion Act, as Taiwan has the sixth largest trading surplus with the U.S. with about 90 percent of the that coming from semiconductors and communication technology (ICT) products.

Taiwan's negotiating team will try to seek the best position on a tariff planned by the White House on semiconductors, Cheng said, and once a certain level of agreement was reached, she expected Washington will arrange a concluding meeting on the matter.

In April, the U.S. launched an investigation under Section 232 for a possible tariff on semiconductor imports.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a tariff of about 100 percent on imported semiconductor chips, but said there would be no charge if companies "are building" in the United States.