Like the over-200 percent tariff on goods and materials from China that briefly came and went before being dropped down to the current 30 percent, this would be an essentially insurmountable hurdle for domestic businesses reliant upon chip imports. The vast majority of global semiconductors are made in Taiwan, despite years of investment in new American fabrication plants.
Trump offered an escape hatch for his plans, saying there would be "no charge" for companies "building in the United States." Apple CEO Tim Cook was in attendance at the Oval Office at the time, presenting a golden plaque to the president as Apple announced a $100 billion investment in American manufacturing.
Since most of the major chip manufacturers are indeed investing in American fabrication—and have been since the Biden administration passed the CHIPS Act in 2022—the actual hit to the largest tech companies might be minimal. That includes Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Samsung, and most crucially Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's most prolific chipmaker. TSMC is currently expanding its Arizona-based production facilities by more than $100 billion.
The biggest hit would go to smaller American cor
|
