Taiwan, the center of the global supply chain for computer chips, woke up on Thursday to the news that President Trump had put new 32 percent tariffs on the island’s exports to the United States. Except for semiconductors.

       The decision not to impose tariffs on the chip sector does not mean they won’t be coming for Taiwan or anywhere else, including South Korea, another major source of chips.

       Taiwanese companies have spent decades and billions of dollars building up a network of factories that conduct the complex process of etching tiny circuits onto pieces of silicon.

       These chips — and a broad range of electronic devices that contain them — are Taiwan’s main exports. And they are increasingly the focal point of the Taiwanese-U.S. geopolitical relationship, which has undergone a markedly transactional shift since Mr. Trump took office.

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       Mr. Trump previously said Taiwan had gained an unfair dominance in making semiconductors and threatened to impose tariffs on the sector. He has also accused Taiwan, which depends on the United States for political support against China’s claims that Taiwan is part of its territory, of spending too little on its own security.

       Tracking Trump’s First 100 Days ？ The Trump administration’s previous actions on North American tariffs

       March 31 Said there would be no exemptions for tariffs set to begin on April 2 ？ March 29 Said he ‘couldn’t care less’ if car prices went up in response to his tariffs ？ March 26 Announced 25 percent tariffs on imported cars and car parts ？ March 24 Threatened 25 percent tariffs against any country that buys Venezuelan oil ？ March 13 Warned other countries that they should not retaliate against the tariffs the United States is putting on their exports ？ Earlier entries about North American tariffs

       See every major action by the Trump administration ？

       Trump’s Tariffs Don’t Apply to Chips, but Taiwan Remains Wary - The New York Times

       Officials and businesses in Taiwan have been scrambling to soften the blow of Washington’s tariff threats. Last month, President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan was interested in buying natural gas from a long-stalled project in Alaska.

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