US President Donald Trump has announced plans to place tariffs on imported semiconductors from companies that do not establish manufacturing operations in the United States. The move is part of his broader push to bring critical technology production back to American soil. He described the proposed duties as “fairly substantial.”

 

The statement came during a White House dinner with senior technology industry leaders on Thursday, where Trump confirmed that the new tariffs would be introduced soon. “We will be putting a tariff very shortly,” he said, clarifying that while the rate would not be excessively high, it would still be significant enough to encourage firms to shift production.

 

Trump explained that the measure would apply to companies unwilling to set up factories in the US. He added that Apple is unlikely to be affected, highlighting the company’s decision to expand its domestic investments. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was present at the dinner, has committed to increasing the company’s US investment to $600 billion over the next four years.

 

Tariffs have been a cornerstone of Trump’s economic agenda, used both as leverage in international trade negotiations and as a tool to push multinational companies to expand operations within the country. However, this strategy has also caused turbulence in financial markets, strained ties with trading partners, and fueled global economic uncertainty.

 

Earlier in July, Trump suggested imposing a 100 percent tariff on imported chips, excluding firms with existing or planned facilities in the US. Major players like Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korean companies Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have already announced projects to build semiconductor plants in America.