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32m ago

U.S. Sets 25% Tariff on Select AI Chips as Taiwan Pledges $250 Billion U.S. Investment

The move narrows duties to re‑exported H200‑ and MI325X‑class chips, carving out domestic uses, tolling China‑bound sales through mandatory U.S. testing.

Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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A general view shows the White House on a cloudy day, in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 23, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo
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Overview

  • President Trump’s proclamation levies a 25% duty on Nvidia H200 and AMD MI325X–class semiconductors made abroad that pass through the U.S. for re‑export, including shipments cleared for Chinese customers.
  • Chips for U.S. data centers, startups, non‑data‑center consumer products, civil industrial uses, and public‑sector applications are exempt, with Commerce granted broad discretion to issue additional exclusions.
  • New rules require some Taiwan‑made, China‑bound AI chips to route through third‑party testing in the U.S., making those transiting shipments subject to the 25% tariff.
  • The action follows a nine‑month Section 232 probe finding U.S. over‑reliance on foreign chipmaking a security risk, with the White House cautioning that broader semiconductor tariffs remain possible.
  • A separate U.S.–Taiwan agreement commits at least $250 billion in Taiwanese investment plus $250 billion in credit guarantees for U.S. chip capacity, trims reciprocal tariffs to 15%, and expands duty‑free import allowances for firms building U.S. fabs.