Overview
- Commerce is preparing exemptions that would let companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft import some TSMC-made AI chips without new tariffs, according to Financial Times reporting cited by Tom’s Hardware.
- Exemptions would reportedly scale with U.S. fab capacity, allowing up to 2.5 times planned output tariff-free during construction, dropping to 1.5 times once production begins.
- A separate reported U.S.–Taiwan deal would cut tariffs on Taiwanese imports to 15% in exchange for $250 billion in direct investment commitments and $250 billion in credit guarantees for U.S. semiconductor projects.
- President Trump is said to be delaying signature, and an administration official pledged to monitor the rollout to ensure the policy does not become a giveaway to TSMC.
- TSMC has pledged $165 billion for U.S. capacity and its board approved $45 billion in near-term spending, with any tariff-free allocations expected to prioritize major Big Tech customers.