TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's parliament summoned Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) Tuesday (Aug. 19) to address mounting concerns over trade disparities with the United States during a Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's legislature, session. The premier appeared before lawmakers to deliver a comprehensive report on local government subsidy allocations and indigenous infrastructure maintenance funding. Taiwan's People Party legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) used the opportunity to challenge government officials about stalled negotiations with Washington over overlapping tariffs that disadvantage Taiwanese exporters.
Taiwan's People Party (TPP, 台灣民眾黨), a centrist political party, legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) pressed Cho about stagnating negotiations to eliminate overlapping tariffs with the United States. The premier acknowledged that the European Union and Japan successfully avoided such punitive measures through bilateral agreements, while Taiwan and America have failed to initiate substantive discussions. Chen exposed the stark disparity: Japan faces only a 15% non-overlapping tariff, while Taiwan endures a crippling 20% overlapping tariff that devastates the island's crucial machine tool manufacturing sector.
Deputy Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) pledged immediate efforts to reduce tariffs to reasonable levels and eliminate harmful overlapping structures. Chen sharply criticized Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) for failing to inform the Taiwanese public about these significant tariff disparities over recent months. Premier Cho defended his administration by claiming officials were unaware of the substantial gap between Japan's favorable treatment and Taiwan's punitive burden until recently. ◼