TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) announced a multi-pronged strategy on Tuesday (April 8) to shield the capital city's businesses from the economic fallout of U.S. President Trump's sweeping tariff policies that threaten Taiwan's export-driven economy. The centerpiece of the mayor's initiative involves creating a centralized platform designed specifically to address the needs of vulnerable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of Taiwan's industrial ecosystem, by providing streamlined access to critical information resources and targeted financial assistance programs aimed at bolstering their economic resilience during this period of trade uncertainty.
Taipei's Department of Labor (勞動局) has received explicit directives to develop comprehensive support programs targeting vulnerable workforce segments potentially facing unpaid leave mandates or mass layoffs as tariff pressures intensify across manufacturing sectors. The department will implement a "short-term employment program" as a safety net for displaced workers while economic adjustments take place. Simultaneously, the city's Department of Economic Development (產業發展局) will spearhead efforts to help local businesses diversify their export destinations beyond the American market by substantially increasing financial resources allocated for overseas exhibition subsidies and significantly relaxing application requirements that previously limited participation.
The mayor proposed forging stronger public-private partnerships between government agencies and industry trade associations to organize strategic product exhibitions targeting American buyers and consumers. In a particularly innovative approach, Chiang advocated capitalizing on Taipei's established relationships with its 12 sister cities across the United States to create pathways for Taiwanese businesses to establish manufacturing facilities on American soil, potentially circumventing tariff barriers. The mayor emphasized his administration's commitment to preserving current employment and productivity levels throughout the capital region while calling on Taiwan's central government to pursue vigorous negotiations with Washington to secure the most advantageous possible outcome for the island's economic interests. Striking a note of national solidarity, Chiang concluded with an impassioned appeal for political unity, urging all parties to transcend partisan divisions in the face of these significant external economic challenges.
