The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred shortly after 9:30 p.m. local time, was located about 50 km north of Taitung city at a depth of 10 km, the USGC said.
At this stage, local media have not reported any injuries or damage. The Taiwan Meteorological Service has for its part estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.4, and its depth at 7.3 kilometers.
Taiwan and its surroundings are regularly hit by earthquakes due to their location near the junction between two tectonic plates. The island does not issue a tsunami warning for earthquakes below magnitude 7.
According to the USGC, casualties from Saturday’s quake are unlikely, but damage is possible.