On Thursday, the Donald Trump administration struck a trade agreement with Taiwan aimed at pulling hundreds of billions of dollars in semiconductor investment onto U.S. soil while easing tariff pressure on key Taiwanese exports.
US–Taiwan Deal Targets Domestic Chip Manufacturing
The Department of Commerce said Taiwanese chip and technology companies will invest at least $250 billion to expand semiconductor production capacity in the U.S.
The Taiwanese government will provide $250 billion in credit guarantees to support those projects.
In return, the U.S. will cap “reciprocal” tariffs on Taiwan at 15%, down from 20% and eliminate tariffs on select categories, including generic pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, aircraft components and certain natural resources.
TSMC Signals Potential Arizona Expansion
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM) has already purchased hundreds of acres near its existing Arizona facilities, opening the door to further expansion.
Lutnick also said Taiwanese chip companies that do not “build” in the U.S. could face tariffs as high as 100%.
A TSMC spokesperson told the publication that the demand for its advanced chips remains strong and that the company continues to invest both in Taiwan and overseas.
The deal builds on TSMC’s existing $40 billion Arizona investment, which supplies chips to major U.S. firms such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA).
Tariff Exemptions Tied To US Chip Fabs
Under the agreement, Taiwanese chipmakers building new U.S. factories will receive significant tariff flexibility under the Section 232 national security framework.
While construction is underway, companies will be allowed to import up to 2.5 times the production capacity they are building without facing tariffs.
Once factories are completed, imports of up to 1.5 times U.S. output will remain tariff-free. Taiwanese auto parts, lumber and related products will also be shielded from tariffs exceeding 15%.
Price Action: TSMC gained 4.44% during Thursday’s regular session and rose 0.47% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
TSMC shows a stronger price trend across the short, medium and long terms, though it carries a weak Value rating, according to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings.
Photo Courtesy: William Potter on Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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