TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Friday said that Taiwan is in the first group of countries that will be negotiating with Washington over US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

At a meeting with industry leaders in Taichung, Lai said the Presidential Office and various ministries and agencies have been monitoring the tariff situation, per CNA. Lai said that on April 3, the day after Trump announced the new tariff policy, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) led the Cabinet to introduce a support plan for affected industries.

Lai said that starting on April 5, he began holding discussions with industry representatives at the official residence, followed by the announcement of a comprehensive response strategy. Lai said he hopes these negotiations will be an opportunity for Taiwan and the US to advance the economic and trade cooperation they have long sought to deepen.

The president said the US has demanded that countries address the problem of “origin laundering.” This is the practice of companies misrepresenting a product's country of origin. He said this will be one of the focuses of Taiwan’s negotiations with the US.

Lai added that after the government released its industrial support plan, it was immediately submitted to the US government. He noted that since then, the US has already lowered the tariff on Taiwan from 32% to 10%. 

The president mentioned that Taiwan is now included in the list of countries included in the first batch of negotiations. He said the government would be well-prepared to negotiate with the US to ensure its national interests.

He said the government is not only setting a direction for negotiations with the US but also rolling out policies to support industries. Taiwan must continue to develop, and its economy must keep transforming and progressing, said Lai.

Having endured two energy crises, financial turmoil, and a pandemic, Lai said Taiwan not only overcame these challenges but also strengthened the fundamentals of its industries. He said this is “a testament to the Taiwanese spirit of perseverance.”

The president said the issue of US tariffs must be taken seriously, and he called for unity and support from both the ruling and opposition parties to overcome this challenge. He emphasized the need to upgrade the economy, predicting the future is an era of widely available artificial intelligence. 

Lai urged all industries to harness artificial intelligence to upgrade and transform, making them more competitive. Moving forward, Lai said Taiwan needs to focus on strengthening its position locally, expanding globally, enhancing ties with the US, and marketing products worldwide.