Bloomberg News: Prof. Rigger on Trump’s China Trade Threat and Taiwan
President Donald Trump has threatened to place punishing tariffs on Chinese goods, a move that would have a sizable, direct impact on Taiwan's economy. Taiwan makes more than 90 percent of the world's motherboards and notebook computers, so tariffs on Chinese electronics would be especially painful to Taiwanese-owned companies, writes Enda Curran for Bloomberg News. In the piece, Brown Professor of Political Science Shelley Rigger comments on the potential ripple effect of new tariffs:
"Because most of the value of those items [electronics] is contributed by Taiwanese, other Asian and U.S. companies, a tariff based on their value coming out of China would hurt Taiwan and others disproportionately."
Rigger is the author of "Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse."
Taiwan as a Microcosm
Taiwan is a small country with a trade-dependent economy, and as such, it acts as a microcosm of the economic and political challenges facing developed countries in the world.