President Donald Trump said Wednesday during an Oval Office press briefing that chips and semiconductors made overseas will face an approximately 100% tariff, while U.S.-made chips will face none.
Since launching his 2024 campaign, Trump has vowed to bring manufacturing and business back to the U.S. to boost jobs and incentivize foreign companies to invest in American production. During a briefing on Apple’s new $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, he highlighted how companies like Apple are now returning “home.” (RELATED: Experts Discuss State Of American Manufacturing At Daily Caller Live Event)
“It’s companies like Apple, they’re coming home,” Trump said. “They’re all coming home, and we want them to come home. They have to come home. We’re going to treat them really well. We’re going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors. But the good news for companies like Apple is if you’re building in the United States or have committed to build without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge.”
“In other words, we’re not going to be charging. So a lot of countries, a lot of companies are leaving various other places, and they’re coming to the United States. So in other words, we’ll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors. But if you’re building in the United States of America, there’s no charge, even though you’re building and you’re not producing yet in terms of the big numbers of jobs and all of the things that you’re building. If you’re building, there will be no charge.”
Since Trump’s return to the White House, tech giants have been shifting operations back to the U.S., citing concerns over trade risks. In April, Trump announced his “Liberation Day” initiative, imposing sweeping reciprocal tariffs on a handful of countries.
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Shortly after implementation, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs to allow countries time to negotiate deals with the U.S. In April, companies like Advanced Micro Devices announced plans to begin chip production at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s facility in Arizona, making it the first time the company’s processors would be made in the U.S.
“I didn’t even tell you that inside,” Trump said, turning to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. “We discussed the concept, but I didn’t. So it’s a big factor. So 100% tariff on all chips and semiconductors coming into the United States.”
“But if you’ve made a commitment to build or if you’re in the process of building, as many are, there is no tariff. OK [and] if for some reason you say you’re building and you don’t build, then we go back, and we add it up. It accumulates, and we charge you at a later date. You have to pay, and that’s a guarantee,” Trump said.
The new $100 billion investment from Apple follows a $500 billion pledge made in February, with plans to hire 20,000 U.S. workers over the next four years. The company also aims to open a new artificial intelligence server factory in Texas.
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