TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Michelle Lee (李慧芝), spokesperson for Taiwan's Executive Yuan (行政院), the country's cabinet, explained Thursday (Dec. 4) that Taiwan and the United States have entered the final phase of tariff negotiations, with significant investments from major tech companies being a key focus. She clarified that while labor training was not a topic of discussion, training local workers when companies produce in the U.S. is a natural course of action.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnik noted that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電) has announced an additional US$100 billion investment in Arizona, bringing its total investment to US$165 billion. Lutnik highlighted that other companies, such as Micron Technology and Texas Instruments, have also increased their investments, suggesting that Taiwan's total U.S. investments should reach US$300 billion. This statement sparked interest in Taiwan's role in training American workers
Lee emphasized that Lutnik's mention of the US$300 billion semiconductor investment includes the previously announced investments by TSMC, Micron, and Texas Instruments, not solely Taiwan's contributions. She reassured that Taiwan's Executive Yuan's Taiwan-U.S. Economic and Trade Working Group is advancing negotiations under the guidance of the president and the premier. They aim to secure reasonable and favorable reciprocal tariff rates, including the 232 tariff preferences.