White House Weighs Broad New Semiconductor Tariffs Covering Data Center Servers and Laptops
Proposed trade measures could expand import duties beyond standalone silicon to include finished enterprise and consumer computing hardware.
The Trump administration is considering a fresh series of trade tariffs on semiconductors utilized across the United States, coming at a time when technology firms are rapidly expanding compute capacity to maintain an edge over China in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The prospective import duties would extend beyond raw silicon to encompass finished hardware products built with chips, including enterprise data center servers, personal laptops, and gaming equipment, according to eight individuals familiar with the matter cited in a report by Politico.
As reported by CNBC Business, the regulatory proposals remain in their early development stages and could undergo significant revisions in the coming months. If finalized, the administration plans to implement the measures through a phased, staggered schedule.
The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment from CNBC Business, but told Politico in a statement: "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."
Existing duties on Chinese-manufactured semiconductors were originally enacted under the Biden administration. President Trump stated last year that he planned to institute levies of around 100 percent on imported chips while exempting companies building facilities within the U.S., though those specific proposals were not enacted at the time.
Earlier this year in January, the Trump administration took action by applying a 25 percent tariff specifically directed at certain artificial intelligence processing units.
Trade restrictions continue to face operational challenges as Chinese technology organizations have reportedly managed to utilize advanced Nvidia silicon despite stringent export limits. Industry analysts indicate that gaining access to high-performance computing capabilities through foreign cloud service providers remains a primary channel allowing Chinese artificial intelligence models to advance.
While federal lawmakers are currently discussing legislation aimed at closing cloud access workarounds, experts told CNBC Business that significant policy and enforcement hurdles must be resolved before any new regulations can take effect.
Sources
Written by
The Company Wire
Inside the companies building what’s next. Reporting on startups, technology, funding and the people shaping them.
