On november 19, Reuters reported, citing close sources, that US officials are discussing the possibility of not imposing import tariffs on semiconductor products. This message has been conveyed to relevant stakeholders within the government and industry over the past few days.

Another source explained that the US government is exercising caution to avoid creating a trade rift with China. Such a move could trigger retaliatory tariffs and disrupt the flow of rare earth materials.

Despite these discussions, sources emphasized that a final decision has not been made. The three-digit import tariff could still be imposed at any time.

US President Donald Trump during a meeting with Central Asian leaders at the White House on 6/11. *AP*

In august, US President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductor products, with exceptions for companies manufacturing in the US or committing to do so. In recent months, US officials have consistently affirmed the government's intent to implement these tariffs. However, discussions regarding the timing and other details of this action are ongoing.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai denied any change in the administration's position. "The Trump administration is committed to continuing to use every executive tool to bring manufacturing back to the US, ensuring economic security," he stated.

A US Commerce Department official also affirmed that there has been "no policy change regarding import tariffs on semiconductor products." However, neither official specified when the administration would finalize these tariffs or provided further details.

This is a sensitive period for the Trump administration, which faces increasing consumer pressure as the year-end shopping season approaches. Imposing higher import tariffs on semiconductor products would significantly raise prices for a wide range of electronics, from smartphones to refrigerators. In september, the US government considered a plan to impose tariffs on electronic goods based on the number of chips in each product.

According to statistics from last year, the US produces approximately 12% of global semiconductor chips, a decrease from 40% in 1990. Many major companies, such as Apple, Intel, and TSMC, are either building factories or have announced significant investments in US production. Most recently, TSMC, the world's largest chip manufacturer, is set to ship 2 nm chips from one of its Arizona factories between 2028 and 2030. Previously, the Taiwanese company invested about 100 billion USD to construct a factory there.

Last week, President Trump withdrew reciprocal tariffs on over 200 food items. Despite this, he maintained that tariffs do not significantly impact inflation. Since the time of former President Joe Biden, the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

By Ha Thu (via Reuters)