TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Eric Chu (朱立倫), chairman of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang party, voiced sharp criticism Thursday (Aug. 7) over President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcement. Chu condemned the timing of Trump's decision, emphasizing that the Section 232 trade investigation remains incomplete. The opposition leader warned that the abrupt policy shift could destabilize Taiwan's crucial semiconductor industry and broader economic relationships with the United States.
Trump recently imposed a devastating 100 percent tariff on all semiconductor and chip imports entering the United States, sparing only companies with existing or planned American facilities. Chu warned that this punitive trade measure would severely strain Taiwan's critical technology supply chains, particularly affecting wafer foundries, integrated circuit design firms, and server manufacturers. The opposition leader highlighted Taiwan's vulnerability as the world's dominant semiconductor producer facing unprecedented American protectionist policies.
Chu proposed Taiwan launch a comprehensive "Strategic Industry Retention Program" alongside detailed impact assessments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across all sectors. The Kuomintang chairman emphasized urgent needs for transformation support covering SMEs, traditional manufacturing, and high-technology industries facing American trade pressures. Chu demanded bipartisan legislative cooperation to enact an "Economic Security Act" that would regulate strategic sector relocations and safeguard Taiwan's industrial base from foreign economic coercion.
Chu challenged the government to confront these mounting economic threats directly through comprehensive industrial response strategies and visionary economic planning. The opposition leader argued that decisive action would demonstrate Taiwan's preparedness to navigate escalating trade tensions with its most important ally. Such proactive measures, Chu emphasized, remain essential for preserving Taiwan's economic sovereignty and technological leadership amid unprecedented global trade disruptions. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.890)
