By Yimou Lee and Faith Hung

TAIPEI, Aug 1 (Reuters) -

Taiwan's president and his cabinet said on Friday 20% U.S.

tariffs will be "temporary" and the government will continue to

advocate for reasonable tariff rates as they complete the final

stage of negotiations.

"Once a final agreement is reached, the tariff rate is

expected to be reduced further," according to a Facebook post

from Lai Ching-te, reiterated in a cabinet statement.

The comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump's

executive order on Thursday imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to

41% on U.S. imports from dozens of trading partners and foreign

locations.

Taiwan's presidential office will hold a press briefing

at 11:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) on the tariffs.

Taiwan has been seeking to strengthen its trade ties with

major partners, particularly the U.S., Taiwan's second-largest

trading partner after China, amid growing geopolitical and

economic challenges.

Taiwan had the sixth-largest trade deficit with the U.S.

last year, exporting $73.92 billion more to the U.S. than it

took in, according to data from the U.S. and Taiwan governments.

The outcome of the discussions could play a key role in

shaping the island's future trade strategy and its position in

the global supply chain, and is crucial to Taiwan's

export-driven economy.