TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s newly signed trade agreement with Washington will remain in force despite a US Supreme Court ruling striking down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, experts said Friday.
The court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. Trump had relied on the 1977 law to levy “reciprocal” duties on nearly all countries last year.
After Washington and Taipei signed a reciprocal trade agreement last week, the Hudson Institute held a forum to assess the impact, per CNA. The discussion was moderated by Riley Walters and featured Bonnie Glaser and Rupert Hammond-Chambers.
Walters said the ruling is not a major issue for Taiwan because most of its exports fall under Section 232 national security tariffs, not the IEEPA authority tariffs struck down by the court.
He said the bilateral agreement will remain valid despite the court’s decision, stressing that the legal shift in Washington does not undermine the negotiated terms.
Hammond-Chambers commented that there had been pressure behind the scenes to finalize the deal before the ruling was issued. He called the agreement a win-win for both sides.
Glaser said the pact highlights the strategic weight of US-Taiwan ties. She said the deal goes beyond trade, involving technology and expanding cooperation.
She added that Trump’s approval of the agreement, along with last year’s notification to Congress of a NT$350.09 billion (US$11.1 billion) arms sale package to Taiwan, underscores his commitment to the relationship. Trump does not want to signal to China that US support for Taiwan is weakening, she said.
