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ChinaPolitics

From job cuts to suspending plans, Taiwan firms brace for Trump tariff storm

Economist Lin Chu-chia says growing anxiety on the island reflects a lack of transparency about Taipei’s tariff negotiations

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A midterm assessment report by two think tanks found that more than half of Taiwanese firms with trade ties to the US expect to be affected by the new tariffs, although Washington has not yet announced the tariff rate for the island. Photo: Reuters
Lawrence Chungin Taipei

At least a quarter of Taiwanese companies have put expansion plans on hold, and 5 per cent have started cutting staff in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the island, according to a new study.

The findings come amid persistent uncertainty over the potential economic fallout from Washington’s tariff plan, especially following speculation that Taiwan could face a steep 32 per cent import duty – matching the level initially proposed by Trump in early April.

A midterm assessment report released on Monday by two opposition-aligned think tanks found that more than half of the Taiwanese firms with trade ties to the United States expected to be affected by the new tariffs.

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The study involved a survey a 238 companies and was jointly conducted by the National Policy Foundation – which is affiliated with the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) – and the Taiwan People’s Party policy committee.

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Trump imposes 25% unilateral tariffs on Japan, South Korea amid slow negotiation progress

Under a hypothetical 10 per cent tariff scenario, nearly 60 per cent of the surveyed firms said they expected only minor revenue changes or no significant impact.

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