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  • 2 days ago
US President Donald Trump says he's putting 15% tariffs on most US imports. While Taiwan's Cabinet doesn't expect a major impact on Taiwanese businesses, parties are split over how Taiwan should respond. The ruling DPP says it will communicate with Washington and get the best deal possible for Taiwan. But opposition parties want to reexamine a newly-signed US-Taiwan trade deal, and possibly try to rework it.
Transcript
00:00U.S. President Donald Trump says he's raising tariffs again, despite a Supreme Court ruling that means he'll have to
00:06use different laws to do it.
00:08He's now invoking a law called Section 122, imposing the maximum that law allows, a 15% levy on almost
00:16all U.S. imports.
00:18He has 150 days before Congress must approve an extension.
00:22And he may not stop there.
00:24In a social media post, he said he'll use the period to look at even more legal ways to raise
00:30tariffs.
00:31Taiwan's cabinet isn't expecting a major impact on Taiwanese exports.
00:35But there are questions, including what Trump's latest moves mean for an investment MOU and a just-signed trade agreement
00:43Taiwan's already worked out with Washington.
00:45And as Trump suggested, there could still be additional tariffs under additional laws.
01:03Analysts are on the watch, too.
01:05Some expect a law generally meant at targeting unfair trade practices could be one effective tool Trump could use to
01:11further his protectionist policies.
01:24The tariff issue has brought different responses across party lines.
01:28The ruling Democratic Progressive Party seems to want to move forward with the already agreed trade deal.
01:34Vice Premier Zheng Li-jun, who just around a week ago was in Washington to sign the agreement,
01:40says her team will evaluate the situation and communicate with the Trump administration to ensure Taiwan gets the best deal.
01:47President Lai Qingde has said he wants the same thing.
01:50But the two opposition parties propose a close review of the Taiwan-U.S. trade deal,
01:56maybe even reconsidering or renegotiating it given the new circumstances.
02:17As Taiwan comes back from its long Lunar New Year break,
02:20top officials who may have thought the U.S. trade issue settled will return to a new set of conditions,
02:26and they'll have to figure out how they're going to respond.
02:30Luffy Lee and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.
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