Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te addressed fishers at the national Fishermen's Day event, delivering what amounts to positive news for the agriculture and fisheries sectors, as the government pledged to cushion the impact through a dedicated fund and tariff negotiations.

• The government has established a NT$30 billion "Agricultural Security Fund" to help the agriculture and fisheries sectors upgrade and to prepare for the potential impact of a Taiwan-US agreement.
• Lai said the Taiwan-US tariff negotiations are proceeding smoothly and that the outcome will be announced after some time, adding that he will press for the best possible terms.
• On rising fuel prices, a concern raised by fishermen's associations, he said war and international oil prices have indeed had an effect, but that Taiwan has been less affected than international markets and that the government has arrangements in place to keep prices stable.
• The government will continue work on fishing port construction, fishers' welfare and cold-chain logistics, so that Taiwan's seafood can fetch better prices at home and abroad.
• Twelve model fishers and 16 outstanding fishers were honoured at the event, and the national Fishermen's Day returned to Tainan for the first time in 14 years.

Outlook: The outcome of the Taiwan-US tariff negotiations will be announced in the near future and is the key to whether the agriculture and fisheries sectors can truly breathe a sigh of relief.