Apple and NVIDIA are the first to bear the brunt, Trump initiates investigation, US tariffs on chips and pharmaceuticals "are on the verge of being launched"

Trump strikes again with heavy tariffs: The technology and pharmaceutical industries tremble, Apple and NVIDIA stocks fall sharply

According to Xinhua News Agency, the relevant U.S. government online platform quietly released information last Friday night, exempting so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on electronic products such as smartphones, laptops, and chips. Trump suggested on Monday that he is considering the possibility of exempting tariffs on imported cars and parts, but hinted that new tariffs will be imposed on chips and pharmaceuticals.

Additionally, media reports indicate that on April 14 local time, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in two notices that it has begun investigating the impact of imports of "semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment" as well as "drugs and drug ingredients, including finished pharmaceuticals" on U.S. national security.

Overnight, Apple and NVIDIA—two tech giants reliant on global supply chains—saw their stock prices turn downward during trading. By the close, Apple shares rose 2.21%, while NVIDIA fell 0.2%.

Investors are concerned that these tariff measures could severely disrupt supply chains, raise costs for U.S. consumers, and affect the production layout of global semiconductor and pharmaceutical products.

Semiconductor and Pharmaceutical Industries Face Severe Impact

According to media reports, the Trump administration has officially launched a trade investigation into imports of semiconductor and pharmaceutical products, led by the U.S. Department of Commerce, to assess the impact of these imports on U.S. national security.

It is reported that the two investigations began on April 1, ordered under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, with a maximum duration of 270 days, but Trump and his team have made it clear that results may be released earlier.

The new tariffs are likely to severely impact the chip industry. Reports indicate that the scope of the Commerce Department's semiconductor investigation is extensive, assessing the import situation of both traditional and advanced chips, including all semiconductor and manufacturing equipment imports, as well as electronic products containing these components. This investigation will affect a wide range of companies that export microprocessors and related products worth tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. each year.

Analysts point out that these actions are likely to lead to tariffs on global semiconductor sales exceeding $600 billion, as these chips are crucial for various products ranging from cars and airplanes to mobile phones and consumer electronics. At the same time, it will also deal a heavy blow to the world's largest pharmaceutical giants such as Merck & Co. and Eli Lilly & Co.

In fact, for humanitarian reasons, the pharmaceutical industry has long been protected by international agreements and has been exempt from trade wars. Trump is breaking this decades-old tradition.

However, according to the announcement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Trump's separate drug investigation will examine imports of all drugs—including generics and non-generics—as well as the ingredients used to manufacture them. Investigators will also look into the imports of key pharmaceutical raw materialsBefore the potential tariffs are implemented, pharmaceutical companies have been rushing to announce significant investment plans in the United States. Recently, Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis announced plans to invest $23 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, following Eli Lilly, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson.

Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks stated that due to some control over drug prices, tariffs could ultimately harm pharmaceutical profits, leading them to scale back research efforts:

"We have to absorb the tariff costs and make trade-offs within our own company. Typically, this would mean layoffs or cuts to R&D spending, and I expect R&D spending to be the first to go. This is a disappointing outcome."

Some viewpoints indicate that the imposition of tariffs on drugs will have a particularly significant impact on Ireland, as Ireland has a trade surplus of $54 billion with the U.S., primarily stemming from the pharmaceutical industry