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On January 14, 2026, the White House issued a presidential proclamation that immediately shook the global electronics industry: the United States is now imposing 25% tariffs on semiconductors transiting through American soil before being re-exported. A decision with direct consequences for supply chains, logistics flows, and the competitiveness of international manufacturers.
A Measure Rooted in National Security
The justification put forward by the Trump administration is unambiguous: according to the presidential proclamation, the United States manufactures only about 10% of the chips it needs domestically, making it heavily dependent on foreign supply chains — a situation described as a “significant economic and national security risk” for the country.
This is not a new observation. For several years, America’s dependence on Asian foundries — particularly Taiwanese ones — has fueled a strategic debate combining industrial sovereignty and technological competitiveness. Major American companies such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel design their chips in the United States but have them manufactured abroad, primarily by Taiwanese giant TSMC. It is precisely this model that the new measure seeks to challenge.
The decision concludes a nine-month investigation conducted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer — the same type of mechanism already used to impose tariffs on steel, aluminum, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals.
In Practice, Who Is Affected?
The 25% tariff applies to semiconductors imported into the United States with the intention of re-exporting them to their destination country. President Trump himself summed up the principle: “We allow them to export these chips, but the United States receives 25% of their value.”
Among the components directly targeted are advanced processors for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing — such as Nvidia’s H200 chips.
What Is Exempted
The proclamation does, however, provide significant exemptions. Semiconductors imported to:
- support the development of the American technology supply chain,
- power American data centers,
- serve start-ups, civilian industrial applications, and public sector uses,
…are not subject to these duties. This granularity reflects a desire to protect domestic innovation while concentrating pressure on segments deemed strategic.
A First Step, With More to Come
The measure is explicitly presented as phase 1. Washington has announced that higher duties on chip imports and their derivatives could be imposed “in the near future,” suggesting a broader second phase is in preparation.
This prospect creates significant uncertainty for the entire industry: manufacturers, distributors, equipment makers, and end buyers must now factor in scenarios of potentially wider taxation.
The Impact on Global Supply Chains
For players in the electronics sector, the logistical and commercial implications are immediate.
For Asian manufacturers, the measure increases the cost of transiting through the United States and complicates export routes to third-party markets. Companies like ASML have already indicated they are working with their supply chain and customers to “limit the impact as much as possible.”
For distributors and importers, the need to revise logistics flows is pressing: transit routes that avoid American soil will become more attractive, at the cost of sometimes complex reorganization.
For OEMs and buyers, particularly in the automotive, industrial, or consumer electronics sectors, rising component costs are a reality to be built into budgets and contracts currently under renegotiation.
More structurally, this decision accelerates thinking around the geographic diversification of production sites and the trade-off between cost, supply security, and regulatory compliance — a trend already underway since the shortages of 2021–2022.
Pressure on Industry to Reshore
The administration’s message is clear: manufacture in the United States and avoid the tariffs. Apple notably announced at the start of the week a $100 billion investment in its American production chain — a decision Trump hailed as the model to follow.
For other players, the equation is more complex. Building or relocating semiconductor manufacturing capacity takes years and requires billions of dollars. Tariff policy therefore acts more as a long-term strategic signal than as a short-term fix to current dependencies.
Key Takeaways for Your Procurement Watch
If you work in procurement, supply chain, or technical management at an industrial or electronics company, here are the risk factors to integrate now:
- Map your flows: identify whether your components transit through the United States before delivery to Europe or elsewhere.
- Anticipate tariff pass-through: suppliers exposed to this tax may pass it on to their pricing in the coming weeks.
- Monitor phase 2: an extension of tariffs to other component categories is officially under consideration.
- Strengthen supplier diversification: concentration on a single manufacturer or geographic area carries increased risk in this environment.
Sources: Boursorama / Reuters (January 15, 2026), Usine Digitale (January 15, 2026), IT Social (January 16, 2026), La Presse / AP (January 14, 2026), Electroniques.biz (January 15, 2026).
