New U.S. gov't rule says chipmakers have to make one chip in the US for each chip imported from another country to avoid 100% tariffs — Trump admin allegedly preps new 1:1 chip export rule under new tariff plan

The Trump administration is developing a policy that would require semiconductor companies to match their domestic production with the number of chips their customers import to the U.S. If chipmakers fail to maintain 1:1 ratio over time, they would have to pay a massive import tariff, reports the Wall Street Journal. The plan is intended to boost domestic chip production and could potentially reshape global supply chains, but it introduces logistical and technical challenges that could complicate its implementation.

According to the draft plan cited by the WSJ, chipmakers would need to match every imported chip with one made in the United States. If they fail to do so over time, penalties in the form of import duties — potentially reaching 100% — would be imposed. The approach goes beyond merely encouraging local investment by tying tariff exemptions to measurable production output (e.g., a million units). Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has reportedly presented the proposal to leaders in the semiconductor sector, framing it as a matter of national economic security.

However, WSJ does not disclose how exactly the U.S. government plans to count the number of imported ICs as chips differ in complexity, performance, cost, and value. One million application processors for smartphones, such as Apple's A19/A19 Pro, are not equal to a million of high-performance AI accelerators, such as Nvidia's B300.

Companies that commit to building new semiconductor production facilities on American soil would receive 'credit' for the promised volume, say, a million of chips, according to the WSJ. This credit system would let them continue importing chips without tariffs during the construction phase. Additional transitional support might be introduced to give companies time to ramp up domestic capacity. Yet again, a million small chips made on a leading-edge node is not equal to a million big chips produced on an older process technology.

Since the Trump administration wants to tariff chipmakers, not producers of actual devices, enforcing this approach could be extremely difficult. Companies like Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung import tons of laptops and smartphones that use components sourced globally. Tracking the origin of every chip across complex supply chains would require significant coordination between OEMs, chipmakers, and the U.S. government. Furthermore, calculating tariffs based on complex international supply chains presents a major compliance hurdle.

The policy, if adopted, could benefit chipmakers already expanding within the U.S., such as Intel, GlobalFoundries, Micron, Samsung, Texas Instruments, and TSMC. These firms could gain stronger negotiating positions with customers eager to procure chips in Americal.

The White House has not confirmed the plan and described media coverage as speculative unless formally announced.

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