US President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose "fairly substantial" tariffs on semiconductor imports from companies that don't shift production to the US. However, companies like Apple, which have pledged to invest in domestic manufacturing, are likely to be exempt from these tariffs.
Trump made the comments during a dinner at the White House with over two dozen major tech leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, and Oracle CEO Safra Catz. He stated that companies not operating in the US would face tariffs, but those building or planning to build facilities in the country would not.
Apple, which has committed to spending an additional $100 billion on a domestic manufacturing initiative, is expected to avoid these tariffs. Trump mentioned that Tim Cook would be "in pretty good shape" regarding the potential import levies. The US has been working to onshore its semiconductor supply chain for years, with major semiconductor companies like TSMC and Samsung Electronics committing hundreds of billions of dollars to building plants in the US.
The tariffs aim to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign chipmakers. However, many aspects of the tariffs and exceptions for companies investing in the US remain unclear. Trump's warning underscores his push to bolster domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign semiconductor production.
