Lai holds press conference on signing of US trade agreement
Lai holds press conference on signing of US trade agreement
2026-02-13
On Friday, President Lai Ching-te held a press conference to share the outcome of the reciprocal trade agreement between Taiwan and the US. Lai said the signing of the agreement marks a new chapter for Taiwan’s economy and industry. He also directed words at the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan, urging lawmakers to pass the bill as quickly as possible.
Taiwan and the US have officially signed a reciprocal trade agreement. President Lai Ching-te held a press conference on the matter on Friday.
Lai Ching-te
President
Negotiations on the US’ reciprocal tariffs have finally come to an end. The completion of this last step I believe will ease the worries that Taiwanese society has been having since April 2 last year. This burden should now be lifted, and I hope that thanks to this, everyone can have a pleasant New Year.
Lai says the achievement of six key objectives and five historic breakthroughs will become a driving force for Taiwan’s economy. He also had some words for the opposition.
Lai Ching-te
President
Industry leaders and the international community have welcomed and affirmed the outcome of the negotiations. My hope is that ruling and opposition parties will work together to review and pass the agreement as soon as possible and allow all sectors of Taiwan’s industry to start a new chapter. Considering the precedent set by South Korea, we mustn’t dawdle.
The agreement includes a stipulation that Taiwan’s national defense budget must account for at least 3% of GDP. Critics say the article is akin to allowing a third country, the US, to get involved in Taiwan’s fiscal expenditures.
Lai Ching-te
President
Our goal is for our defense spending to surpass 3% of GDP. I had made that declaration before the US announced its reciprocal tariffs. So whether Taiwan’s defense spending reaches 3% or 5% of GDP has nothing to do with these negotiations. In any case, our 2026 defense budget already exceeds 3% of GDP. It’s already reality. So there won’t be any issues regarding implementation.
Lai also announced that the Presidential Office will establish a dedicated committee for steering Taiwan’s economic strategy, convened by Lai himself. By integrating resources from the Executive Yuan, the committee will lay out a new framework for Taiwan-US trade, in a bid to elevate Taiwan’s economy to new heights.
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#trade #taiwan #us #reciprocaltariffs #trump
說明關稅談判成果 總統籲立院速審:有韓國前車之鑑
2026-02-13
台美雙方今天清晨完成簽署關稅協定，總統賴清德今天也召開記者會說明談判成果，總統形容這是台灣經濟、產業脫胎換骨的關鍵時刻，呼籲立法院有了韓國的前車之鑑，應盡速審議。
台美對等關稅談判底定，完成簽約，總統府召開記者會，總統親自報告談判結果。
[[總統 賴清德]]
“美國對等關稅談判工作終於底定，完成了最後一哩路，我相信也給台灣社會從去年4月2日以來，忐忑不安的心情，這塊石頭應該已經落下，我希望大家都能夠因此過個好年”
這次關稅達成六大目標，還有五項歷史性突破，將成為台灣經濟推力，總統向在野喊話。
[[總統 賴清德]]
“這次談判的結果出來，不僅產業界歡迎，國際社會也肯定，我希望朝野都能夠共同合作，盡速的審議，盡速的讓它通過，讓蓄勢待發的台灣各行各業，都能夠迎接一個新局面的到來，因為已經有韓國的前車之鑑，我們也沒有必要拖延”
現場媒體提問，貿易協定明定「我國國防支出至少佔GDP 3%」，是否有權約束他國財政支出？
[[總統 賴清德]]
“我們要讓我們的國防預算能夠超過GDP的3%，我這樣的宣示是在美國宣布對等關稅之前，所以台灣的國防預算占比GDP的3%或5%，與這次談判沒有關係，更何況我們2026的國防預算的額度已經超過GDP的3%，事實已經發生，所以這個是很清楚的，不會有發生任何未來在進行執行的時候，有甚麼問題”
總統也宣布，總統府將成立「國家經濟戰略指導小組」，由他擔任召集人，結合行政院資源，全面布局台美經貿新局，力拚將台灣經濟推向新的發展層次。
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