South Korea Lands $2 Billion From 4 US Companies as Trump Turns Up Pressure on Foreign Chipmakers: GLW, APD, ACLS Among Stocks in Focus

Four U.S. companies filed investment reports totaling $2 billion for projects in South Korea’s semiconductor, advanced materials, and clean energy sectors, the country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday.

The Companies Behind the Investment

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (NYSE:APD) is expanding its semiconductor gas facilities in Pyeongtaek, its largest project since entering Korea.

Axcelis Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) will expand its Korean ion implanter facility to serve as an Asia-Pacific export hub, while Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) will expand advanced materials manufacturing for next-generation devices and semiconductors.

Pacifico Energy will move forward with a 3.2-gigawatt offshore wind farm in South Jeolla Province.

“The protagonists who will advance Korea-U.S. industrial cooperation in the future are none other than you, the business leaders,” the country’s trade, industry, and resources Minister Kim Jeong-kwan told the companies at a roundtable in Washington following the announcement.

Trump Is Weighing New Semiconductor Tariffs

The investment announcement comes as President Donald Trump‘s administration is reportedly considering a new round of semiconductor tariffs that could extend beyond raw chips to finished electronics, including laptops and data center servers, according to a Politico report.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has floated tying tariff relief for foreign companies to their level of investment in U.S. chip production.

Part of a Broader AI-Driven Trade Surge

South Korea’s exports to the U.S. rose 89.3% year-over-year in August to $16.5 billion, led by triple-digit growth in semiconductors and computers, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.

Overall, semiconductor exports climbed 209% to a record $46.65 billion, topping $40 billion for a third straight month, driven by demand for AI infrastructure from hyperscalers including Alphabet Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google and Amazon.Com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).

South Korea’s memory chipmakers have become central to the AI buildout, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix Inc. (NASDAQ:SKHY) controlling more than 95% of global DRAM output, along with Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU).

According to Benzinga Edge rankings, Air Product’s stock has a Momentum score in the 53rd percentile and a Growth score in the 12th percentile.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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