Taipei, Jan. 13 -- The Cabinet was tight-lipped Tuesday on a report saying that the United States had agreed to lower tariffs on goods it imports from Taiwan in exchange for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) building more chip foundries in the US, Focus Taiwan reported.

The agreement would lower tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 per cent, the same as for Japan and South Korea, which reached understandings on trade and investment with the US in 2025, the news report noted, citing a New York Times article.

"As part of the deal, TSMC would also commit to building at least five more semiconductor facilities, or fabs, in Arizona," the NYT reported, citing unnamed sources.

Responding to the report, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Le...