US President Donald Trump is planning to impose new tariffs on semiconductor products in the coming weeks, a move that is expected to primarily affect companies that produce AI chips (such as Nvidia and AMD). Trump stated, “I will announce this in the coming week” but left open the possibility of exemptions for certain products: “Yes, maybe” the President said, without providing further details. An official announcement is expected soon.
Semiconductors are in the spotlight, with exemptions for smartphones and laptops. The measure came only days after it was announced that smartphones, laptops and other electronics products would be temporarily excluded from the previous tariffs on Chinese goods, at least temporarily.
An internal document from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that 20 product categories would be subject to a new rule, reducing or suspending tariffs on goods from China, effective from April 5. US corporations such as Apple, whose products are manufactured in Asia, would benefit from this.
However, Trump contradicted the claim that it was a real exception, emphasizing that the affected products were merely “moved to another category” and still subject to the so-called “Fentanyl tariffs” of 20 percent. This is a reference to the ongoing tensions in trade with China and Trump’s accusations that Beijing is allowing the synthetic drug Fentanyl to flow into the US without control.
The administration emphasized the harshness of the measures, but contradictions remained. While economic adviser Peter Navarro emphasized on NBC that there were “no exceptions” Trade Minister Howard Lutnick admitted on ABC that smartphones and other electronic products would be temporarily exempt from the punitive tariffs. “That’s correct” Lutnick said, adding that new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals were already in preparation.
At the same time, Trump announced that he would be reviewing the entire semiconductor supply chain. On his platform Truth Social, he wrote: “We will not be taken hostage by other countries – especially hostile trading nations like China.” China had previously been explicitly excluded from the suspension of many US tariffs.
Branch experts doubt the feasibility of the measures, with concerns about the lack of skilled personnel, suppliers and suitable infrastructure.
The opposition Democrats criticized Trump’s tariff policy as “chaotic” and “corrupt.” While tariffs can be a legitimate economic policy tool, there is no clear line in Trump’s approach. Warren called for an investigation into potential conflicts of interest, following significant market fluctuations due to contradictory announcements by the administration.
Apple and Nvidia can breathe a sigh of relief, as smartphones and many of Nvidia’s components for data centers are currently exempt from the tariffs. However, machines for semiconductor production from the Netherlands and Japan are not affected, although US media speculate that this may only be a temporary postponement.
With the planned expansion of the tariffs, Trump is intensifying his confrontational economic policy, particularly towards China. The back-and-forth on exemptions and announcements is causing growing uncertainty among companies and investors, as to whether this is a deliberate course change or just chaotic improvisation.