Impact of Trump's 10% tariff on Taiwan 'limited': Executive Yuan

Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) A global tariff of 10 percent announced by U.S. President Donald Trump will, according to an initial assessment, have a "limited impact" on Taiwan, the Executive Yuan said Saturday.

Trump's latest tariff order, set to go into effect for 150 days starting Tuesday, followed a ruling by the United States Supreme Court on Friday (U.S. time) that blocked tariffs previously imposed on American trading partners, including Taiwan, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said Taiwan will continue to "closely monitor" developments and maintain close communication with the United States to understand the specific measures and respond in a timely manner.

"Regardless of how the Trump administration's subsequent tariff policies develop in response to the Supreme Court's decision, the government's core objective is to continue striving for the greatest national and industrial benefits and to ensure the steady development of Taiwan's economy," Lee said.

Since April 2025, when the U.S. imposed tariffs on countries worldwide, Taiwan has consistently adhered to four major principles -- national interest, the interests of industry, food security and public health -- and continued consultations with the U.S. side to ensure Taiwan's industrial competitiveness, she said.

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Taiwan and the U.S. signed a trade deal on Feb. 12 that would bring down tariffs imposed by Trump under IEEPA authority from 20 percent to 15 percent, but it was not clear how that deal would be affected by the Supreme Court decision.

Lee said items that accounted for 76 percent of Taiwan's exports to the U.S. in 2024 fall under Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act, investigations of which "have been completed or are ongoing."

Taiwan's negotiation team has "already achieved the goal of most-favored-nation treatment for Section 232 tariffs," the spokesperson said, referring to the Feb. 12 agreement.

This is "expected to concretely help reduce the impact on related industries and mitigate uncertainties for the high-tech supply chain stemming from possible future tariffs on semiconductors and related products," she said.