TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) convened an emergency online summit Sunday (Aug. 3) with eight central Taiwan mayors to confront America's announced 20% reciprocal tariff on Taiwan. The coalition of mayors from Taichung, Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City, Miaoli County, Changhua County, Nantou County, Yunlin County, and Chiayi City presented 15 comprehensive solutions to Taiwan's national government. They urgently sought assistance to mitigate the devastating economic impact threatening Taiwan's export-dependent economy.
Mayor Lu characterized Taiwan as confronting a devastating double crisis from torrential rains battering central and southern regions alongside punishing U.S. tariff pressures decimating export-oriented industries. Changhua County Magistrate, a county-level elected official, Wang Huei-mei (王惠美) stressed the urgent need for rapid announcement of comprehensive tariff lists and detailed impact assessments following Taiwan-U.S. trade negotiations. Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華) highlighted that Nantou's vulnerable agriculture sector and small-scale industries suffered the most severe damage, demanding government protection and accelerated subsidy implementation.
Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) issued stark warnings that U.S. zero-tariff rice imports could devastate local farming communities, demanding the national government establish protective agricultural boundaries immediately. Chiayi City Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) proposed bolstering comprehensive support for vulnerable sectors like agriculture through specialized national security resilience budgets and emergency funding mechanisms. Hsinchu County Deputy Magistrate Chen Chien-hsien (陳見賢) declared the government should target reducing punitive tariff rates to 15% while launching multiple strategic response measures across affected industries.
Acting Hsinchu City Mayor Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) announced completion of a comprehensive industry impact assessment report while unveiling plans to assist local businesses in aggressively expanding into non-U.S. markets. Miaoli County Magistrate Chung Tung-chin (鍾東錦) revealed establishment of a specialized response team dedicated to helping industries navigate tariff impacts and streamline business applications for government subsidies and emergency financing. These coordinated efforts represent Taiwan's multi-layered approach to countering American trade pressures. ◼