U.S. Trade Representative: Comprehensive Semiconductor Tariffs to Be Imposed "at the Appropriate Time"
"Certain Level of Imports Allowed for Companies Relocating Production Facilities"
On the 22nd (local time), Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), stated that comprehensive tariffs on semiconductors would be implemented at an appropriate time, but not immediately.
During his speech at the Micron Technology memory chip plant expansion event in Virginia, Greer emphasized, "Imposing tariffs on semiconductors is truly important," while making these remarks.
He stressed, "What is more important than protecting facilities like these (memory chip plants) is that we implement (semiconductor tariffs) at the right time and at the appropriate level." He continued, "There will be no immediate tariffs imposed on semiconductors."
Greer said, "These are complex supply chains. We have seen the semiconductor industry move overseas for decades," adding that, at the 'reshoring' stage (relocating manufacturing facilities back to the U.S.), semiconductor companies will be allowed a certain amount of imports.
The semiconductor tariffs he referred to appear to be item-specific tariffs imposed for reasons such as national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The United States, following the proclamation signed by President Donald Trump this January, currently imposes a 25% tariff only on semiconductors imported from foreign factories—including Taiwan's TSMC—for re-export to China and other countries.
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Meanwhile, President Trump has argued for the reshoring of semiconductor manufacturing. At the inauguration ceremony for Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh on the same day, he stated that thanks to the tariffs, "By the time I leave office, we will have 50% of the world's chip manufacturing capacity, and perhaps even more." President Trump cited the semiconductor plant that TSMC is building in Arizona as an example, saying, "They are coming from Taiwan and other regions as well."
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