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Lutnick Says Trump Administration Weighing New Chip Tariffs With Relief for U.S. Plants

September 2, 2026 at 13:13 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Infra & Chips

The Trump administration is weighing a fresh round of tariffs on imported semiconductors, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday, pairing higher duties on foreign chips with relief for companies that invest in U.S. manufacturing.

Sept. 2, 2026 · U.S. Commerce Department

New chip tariffs if you build here

Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration is preparing a fresh round of semiconductor duties, with relief for companies that manufacture in the United States and levies for those that do not.

U.S. production share Lutnick cited

He said output was under 2 percent when the administration took office and is heading toward 40 percent.

<2%

Then

40%

Target

Column height is proportional: the 40 percent goal is drawn 20 times the under-2 percent base. If Intel succeeds, Lutnick said the share could reach 50 percent.

25%

Phase 1 duty on a narrow set of advanced computing chips since Jan. 15, 2026

$1.2T

Semiconductor build commitments Lutnick said are already pledged in America

>90%

Share of the world's most advanced chips still produced in Taiwan

The bargain Lutnick described

Step 1

Set chip tariffs

A targeted levy on imported semiconductors, with rates still undisclosed.

→

Step 2

Build in America

Companies that invest in U.S. plants get tariff relief, as in the pharmaceutical model.

→

Step 3

Or pay to enter

Firms that do not build in the United States would pay duties to sell into the U.S. market.

Administration case

Reshore production, cut Taiwan risk

Officials say the United States fully makes only about 10 percent of the chips it needs. White House aides call reshoring a national-security priority and cite hundreds of billions of dollars already pledged.

Industry caution

Fabs lag demand; AI buildout at risk

Tech groups say advanced plants take more than five years to build. Lobbyists warn duties on chips, servers, or laptops could raise data-center costs before U.S. capacity exists.

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