TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Stock Exchange is bracing for a shock on Monday after the Trump administration’s sweeping global tariffs went into effect last week.

Monday will be the first day of trading since the Taiwan Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday, April 2 for the Tomb Sweeping holiday. With Trump’s tariffs causing steep drops in international markets, brokerage firms in Taiwan anticipate some of the country’s leading tech firms may see declines between 5% and 10% in value on Monday morning, reported UDN.  

With 32% tariffs targeting Taiwanese goods, Taipei is anticipating immense pressure to sell shares in the early hours of trading. On Sunday, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) called an emergency meeting of the Financial Supervisory Commission to strategize responses based on simulated scenarios, per TaiSounds.  

Statistics over the past decade suggest that the Taiwan Stock Exchange is 90% likely to have a bull market following the Tomb Sweeping holiday, with shares typically trending upwards by several percent, reported TaiSounds. However, economists anticipated that the tariffs would break the trend this year.

Over the weekend, the Premier met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and business leaders to discuss the potential impact of the US reciprocal tariffs. He said the government is prepared to assist industries seriously impacted by the tariffs and sudden market shifts.

Large fluctuations are expected, and the government will not rule out restricting trades to ensure the nation's markets remain stable. Taiwan has established a National Financial Stabilization Fund under the Ministry of Finance, which may be directed to enforce market controls. 

Legislators from both major parties have called on the Ministry of Finance to intervene at the outset of trading to protect Taiwan’s key industries.