US Weighs New Round of Semiconductor Tariffs After January’s 25 Percent AI Chip Levy
The Trump administration is considering a new round of tariffs on semiconductors used in the United States, as tech giants race to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure, CNBC reported Thursday.
Still Early and Subject to Change
The proposed duties would reportedly apply to a wider range of tech products manufactured alongside chips, including laptops, data center servers and gaming hardware, according to 8 people familiar with the matter. The measures are still in early phases and subject to significant changes over the next few months, and would be introduced through a staggered rollout. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said separately that “reshoring semiconductor manufacturing is a top priority for President Trump, whose policies have already secured hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in this key sector.”
The Tariff Track Record So Far
Thursday’s report follows a series of earlier, partly unfulfilled moves on semiconductor tariffs. Existing tariffs on Chinese semiconductors were introduced under the Biden administration. Trump said last year that he intended to impose tariffs of “approximately 100 percent” on semiconductors and chips, with no charge for companies manufacturing domestically, though that measure did not materialise. In January, the administration did impose a 25 percent tariff on certain AI chips.
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Under Biden administration | Tariffs imposed on Chinese semiconductors |
| 2025 | Trump announces plan for tariffs of about 100%, not implemented |
| January 2026 | 25% tariff imposed on certain AI chips |
| Reported 27 August 2026 | New, broader tariff round under consideration, still early stage |
On our reading, taken together the measures show a gap between semiconductor tariff proposals and implementation. Existing tariffs on Chinese semiconductors and January’s 25 percent levy on certain AI chips have taken effect, while Trump’s earlier proposal for tariffs of about 100 percent was not implemented as announced and Thursday’s broader proposal remains under consideration. Neither CNBC nor the Politico report it relayed has disclosed a rate or dollar scope for the new measures under consideration, so no further numeric comparison, such as an affected trade value or an implied tariff revenue estimate, can be built from what has been published so far; that gap is noted here rather than estimated. Chinese firms have also continued to access Nvidia’s chips despite existing US export restrictions, largely through overseas cloud providers, a gap that US legislation currently under discussion is intended to close, though hurdles reportedly remain before any such law could take effect.
Why it matters
A broader tariff round covering not just chips but laptops, servers and gaming hardware would extend trade policy deeper into the technology supply chains that AI infrastructure investment depends on, at a time when chipmakers and cloud providers are already committing hundreds of billions of dollars to US based manufacturing and data centers.
Outlook
The measures remain in an early, changeable stage, with no confirmed timeline or tariff rate yet disclosed. A staggered rollout was reported, meaning any final measures would likely be phased in rather than applied all at once.
Sources: CNBC.
