The Trump administration is reportedly considering new semiconductor tariffs, raising concerns among tech companies about the potential impact on U.S. leadership in AI.
The proposed tariff plan could drastically widen the scope of tech products subject to duties. This could potentially affect goods manufactured with semiconductors, including laptops, gaming consoles, and servers used in data centers, POLITICO reported on Thursday.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is in favor of a system that ties foreign companies’ tariff relief to their investment in U.S. chip production, with the aim of boosting domestic manufacturing, as per the report.
The administration is also contemplating a phase-in period for the new tariffs. However, the framework may undergo significant changes in the coming weeks or months.
Tech companies have begun lobbying efforts to convince the Trump administration to soften the expected tariffs, arguing that the duties would obstruct data center expansion by making it difficult for U.S. companies to procure the volume of semiconductors needed for the AI boom, according to the report.
