The Taiwan Institute for Economic Research says exports and imports increased in April despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff announcement. But questions remain about what solutions the government will come up with to counter potential tariffs and protect Taiwan's key industries, especially semiconductors.
00:00Economists at the Taiwan Institute for Economic Research say that exports went up in April, especially in the electronics and information and communications technology products. They say this is due to high demand in the AI industry.
00:30April's economic data may look contrary to the worldwide uncertainty brought by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs announced at the beginning of April, but export performance has not lifted general sentiment among Taiwan's manufacturing, service, and construction industries.
00:57Tears saw a drop in the economic outlook for these sectors.
01:02Export orders in the first half of the year are still being filled after being placed months before, so it looks like business as usual.
01:09But what we really need to look at is the second half of the year.
01:13As Taiwan faces continued economic uncertainty and a sharp rise of appreciation in its currency, this could affect orders and profits in the second half of the year.
01:24Another wild card, whether Trump will place tariffs on semiconductors.
01:29They're currently exempt from the paused tariffs of 32% on Taiwanese goods, and major players like TSMC have already promised investments in the U.S., hoping this can help them avoid tariffs.
01:41But with one of Taiwan's biggest exports under national security investigations in the U.S., the prospects for Taiwan's economy hang in the balance.
01:48Of course, Taiwan is...
02:18Taiwan is hoping to strike a deal with the U.S. soon.
02:21But what exactly that deal looks like is still up in the air, and this is what has many businesses looking to the future with concern.
02:28Kama Shree and Tiffany Wong in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
