Taiwan will train American chip workforce, says US Commerce Secretary amid final trade talks

Taipei [Taiwan], December 4 : US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Wednesday that Taiwan will help train American workers for advanced semiconductor production, as trade negotiations between the two sides near completion, as per a Focus Taiwan report.
According to the report, Lutnick said discussions with Taipei were ongoing but declined to share details of the proposed deal. He noted that the talks could strengthen cooperation on workforce development for the U.S. chip industry.
Lutnick highlighted a surge in investment pledges by major semiconductor companies from both countries. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has promised an additional investment of USD 100 billion in the United States, bringing its total commitment to about USD 160.5 billion.
American chipmakers Micron Technology and Texas Instruments have also expanded their domestic projects. "Combined, these add up to roughly USD 300 billion in U.S. semiconductor-related investment, Lutnick said, adding that the total would increase if a deal is reached with Taiwan," the report noted.
As per the report, Lutnick's remarks align with earlier reports suggesting that the pending trade agreement could include new Taiwanese investments and training for U.S. engineers. However, Taiwan's government has pushed back on that interpretation.
Taiwan's chief trade negotiator, Yang Jen-ni, told lawmakers in Taipei that no commitment has been made to train U.S. personnel and that such a plan is not part of the ongoing negotiations. She said Taiwan's focus remains on ensuring fair tariff treatment for its exports.
"While the details of an agreement have not been finalised, there is a 'very high' chance that the tariff rate on Taiwan imports into the U.S. will be reduced and will not be stacked on top of the existing most-favoured-nation (MFN) rates," the report mentioned, citing what Yang said.
Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin added that while workforce development is important for companies like TSMC setting up factories in the U.S., the firms already operate their own training programs to prepare employees for advanced manufacturing roles.
The talks come after the United States imposed a 20 per cent tariff on Taiwanese imports in August, lowering an earlier proposed 32 per cent rate. The tariff was applied on top of existing duties and anti-dumping measures.
"Taiwan's trade office said Monday that its team is negotiating under a 'Taiwan model,' seeking supply-chain cooperation, reciprocal tariff reductions without MFN stacking, and improved treatment under Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act," the report noted.