【Text by Observer Network, Liu Bai】Reuters reported on September 26, citing three sources, that the Trump administration is considering imposing tariffs on foreign electronic devices based on the number of chips in each device, attempting to push companies to move their manufacturing to the United States.

The report said this plan was disclosed for the first time and may be subject to changes. According to the plan, the US government will impose tariffs proportionally on the estimated value of chips in products.

The US Department of Commerce has not responded to requests for comment.

When asked about details, White House spokesperson Kush Desei said that the US cannot rely on foreign imports to obtain semiconductors that are critical to national and economic security.

"The Trump administration is taking a careful and comprehensive approach, promoting the return of key manufacturing to the US through tariffs, tax cuts, relaxed regulations, and sufficient energy supply," he said.

According to the report, if the plan is implemented, it would indicate that the Trump administration is seeking to influence a wide range of consumer goods, from toothbrushes to laptops. While trying to expand the scale of American manufacturing, this measure could drive up inflation.

Michael Streain, an economist at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, said: "The US is currently facing inflation, which is significantly higher than the Federal Reserve's target (2%) and still rising, and this plan could push up consumer prices at this time."

He added that even products manufactured domestically might see price increases due to new tariffs on essential inputs required for producing these goods.

On April 25, at the Shanghai Auto Show, Intel's first software-defined vehicle SoC reference design. Visual China

The Trump administration has launched a series of tariff measures aimed at supporting American manufacturing. He announced on the 25th a comprehensive new import tariff: starting from October 1, the US will impose a 100% tariff on all imported brands or patented medicines; a 50% tariff on all kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and related products, and a 30% tariff on soft furniture; a 25% tariff on heavy trucks produced outside the US. This move triggered new trade uncertainties after a relatively quiet period.

In April, the Trump administration announced an investigation into imports of medicines and semiconductors, planning to impose tariffs, citing that excessive reliance on foreign production of these products constitutes a national security threat.

However, many questions remain about which chip-containing products will be affected by the tariffs, what the specific tariff rates will be, and whether any countries, products, or companies can be exempted.

Trump had previously stated in August that the US would impose approximately a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports, but would exempt companies that produce or commit to producing in the US.

Main chip manufacturers outside the US include TSMC and Samsung Electronics of South Korea.

A source consulted by Reuters said that the US Department of Commerce is considering imposing a 25% tariff on chip-related parts of imported equipment, and a 15% tariff on electronics from Japan and the EU, but emphasized that these rates are preliminary proposals.

The source added that the Department of Commerce also considered a "one dollar to one dollar" exemption policy based on investments in US manufacturing, provided that companies move half of their production to the US, but it is unclear how this policy will be implemented, nor whether it will be pursued.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on the 26th that the Trump administration is considering requiring chip companies to produce a quantity of chips in the US that must match the quantity of chips they import from abroad. If companies cannot maintain this 1:1 ratio for a long period, they will face tariff penalties.

The report pointed out that this model may pose challenges for large tech companies like Apple and Dell, as they import large quantities of products containing different chips from around the world. If the new system is implemented, these companies may need to track the source of all chips and collaborate with chip manufacturers to ensure that the import volume matches the US production volume.

Three sources said that the Department of Commerce previously proposed exempting tariffs on chip manufacturing tools to avoid increasing the cost of domestic semiconductor production in the US, thus undermining the Trump administration's goal of bringing industry back. However, the sources said the White House was dissatisfied with this exemption arrangement because Trump generally does not like exemptions.

Analysts point out that the threat of the "stick" of tariffs brings only short-term stimulation, which is difficult to convert into long-term demand. Rafael Lissardy, CFO of Texas Instruments, previously said that the increase in orders under the expectation of increased tariffs is only a short-term phenomenon, which is difficult to bring sustained demand. Cai Shizhao, President of Infineon Asia-Pacific, also emphasized that tariff policies have created high uncertainty for the global semiconductor industry, making it difficult for companies to develop long-term strategies.

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