TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) has returned to the US for the next round of tariff talks, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Wednesday.

She completed a third round of discussions with the Trump administration earlier this month, telling the media the talks had reached a crucial point. The US announced a 32% tariff in April on imports from Taiwan before initiating a 90-day discussion period while a basic 10% tariff applied.

Addressing a meeting at the Democratic Progressive Party, Lai said Cheng and her team had started a fourth round of discussions in Washington. He did not say how long the talks would last, but Aug. 1 was the deadline to reach an agreement, the Liberty Times reported.

The two basic principles are the continued deepening of Taiwan-US trade relations, according to Lai. He added that Cheng’s mission was to protect the nation’s interests, industry’s interests, public health, and food safety.

An agreement would have to provide for balanced Taiwan-US trade and boost bilateral cooperation in areas including technology and national security, the president said.

The two countries first discussed tariff levels during a video conference on April 11, followed by three rounds of talks in the US on May 1, June 25, and July 8, per CNA.