Taiwan tech supply chain stocks bounce back after Trump tariff exemptions

Stocks of major Taiwanese tech firms, key suppliers to companies like Apple rose on Monday following a U.S. government decision to temporarily exempt smartphones, computers, and certain other electronics (mostly imported from China) from steep tariffs.

Foxconn, Apple's largest iPhone assembler, saw its shares climb about 4% in morning trading. Quanta, a contract laptop manufacturer, surged 7%, while Inventec, which also produces AI servers, gained 4%. The broader market index rose around 1%.

However, shares in TSMC, the world’s leading contract chipmaker, slipped into negative territory after initially opening higher. This came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would announce new tariff rates on imported semiconductors within the week, although he hinted at potential flexibility for certain companies.

Alex Huang, Vice President at Mega International Investment Services, noted that while markets were reacting positively to the tariff exemptions, it may be premature as specific details of the policy are still pending.