Trump Plans Tariffs on Foreign Chips, Semiconductors, and Pharmaceuticals, Targeting TSMC and Aiming to Boost U.S. Manufacturing

Jan 28, 2025, 12:04 AM

President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum, and copper in the near future. The aim is to encourage manufacturers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), to relocate their production to the United States. Trump stated that companies wishing to avoid these tariffs, which could range from 25% to 100%, would need to build plants in the U.S. He made these remarks while addressing House Republicans at his Doral resort in Miami. Trump criticized the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides subsidies to chip manufacturers, arguing that tariffs would be a more effective incentive for bringing production back to America. Additionally, Trump's comments on tariffs come in the context of recent market reactions to the progress of Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, which he described as a 'wake-up call' for U.S. industries to compete more aggressively, particularly in light of the impact on Nvidia's market capitalization.