President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose new tariffs on imported semiconductor chips in the coming days, marking a major step in his administration’s push to bring high-tech manufacturing back to American soil and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign suppliers for critical technology.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump made it clear that the days of outsourcing national security to overseas factories are over. “We want to make our chips and semiconductors and other things right here in the United States,” the President said. “We’re going to protect our industries and our people.”
While the specific tariff rates are expected to be announced within the week, the administration has signaled that duties could start at 25% and may increase depending on the outcome of an ongoing Section 232 national security investigation. The probe is examining how America’s dependence on chipmakers in countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia poses a threat to both economic stability and military readiness.
Trump’s latest tariff move builds on his broader Liberation Day trade strategy, which is designed to reward countries that enter reciprocal trade agreements and penalize those who exploit America’s markets. Unlike previous administrations, Trump has prioritized strategic self-reliance—especially in industries tied to defense, energy, and cutting-edge technology.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a key architect of the tariff rollout, said the administration’s goal is to incentivize domestic production and end what he called “decades of negligent dependence” on East Asian suppliers. Lutnick also clarified that while certain electronics like smartphones and laptops were temporarily exempted from recent tariffs, those exemptions are conditional—and could be rolled back if manufacturers don’t begin relocating supply chains to the U.S.
“This isn’t just about economics—it’s about national security,” Lutnick said. “We’ve allowed too much of our semiconductor infrastructure to move offshore. That ends now.”
The new tariffs are expected to accelerate the reshoring trend already underway, with several U.S. tech and manufacturing giants announcing plans to build chip fabrication facilities in states like Texas, Arizona, and Ohio. Trump’s America First economic policies have created a business environment where reshoring is not only encouraged—but increasingly necessary for long-term survival.
National security analysts have warned for years that semiconductor dependency could be a strategic liability in the event of geopolitical conflict, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. The Trump administration is now putting muscle behind the warnings, using trade enforcement as a tool to defend America’s technological future.
As Trump prepares to unveil the exact tariff rates, the message is already loud and clear: the United States will no longer allow its most essential technologies to be held hostage by foreign markets. The semiconductor industry is just the beginning.
The post Trump Says New Tariffs On Semiconductor Chips Coming In ‘Very Near Future’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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