Trump reciprocal tariff impact on semiconductor industry

Donald Trump's return to the White House has reignited a global trade war. On April 2, 2025, Trump announced new tariff measures imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on various countries. Although semiconductors are currently exempt from taxation, the likelihood of future tariffs remains high.

DIGITIMES estimates that due to the characteristics of semiconductor products and the low proportion of direct exports to the US from various countries, the impact of these tariffs will be limited. However, attention must be paid to the potential effects of tariffs on electronic product purchases or the systemic risks arising from macroeconomic factors, which could suppress semiconductor demand.

While Trump has temporarily exempted semiconductors from tariffs, he has repeatedly indicated plans to impose taxes on them, highlighting the ongoing risk of taxation. Currently, the proportion of semiconductor exports directly to the US from various countries is not high. Under the scenario of Trump's new tariff measures, the expected impact from tariffs may decrease; however, this still depends on how Trump implements the tariffs.