In addition to Cook, Trump also met with Jensen Huang yesterday, so the market is not afraid of "semiconductor tariffs"?
Trump will announce drug and chip tariff policies "around next week," with related companies including NVIDIA and Apple intensifying lobbying efforts to secure favorable conditions before the final policy is released. The South Korean trade envoy stated that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will be exempt from 100% of U.S. chip tariffs, as the country enjoys "most-favored-nation treatment" in this area
Tech giants are intensively lobbying Trump for tariff exemptions.
According to CCTV News, on August 6 local time, U.S. President Trump stated that the U.S. would impose tariffs of about 100% on chips and semiconductors.
Reports reveal that on the same day, just hours before announcing that Apple would invest an additional $100 billion in the U.S. with Cook, Trump also met with Jensen Huang at the White House.
The reports cited government officials stating that both Huang and Cook were lobbying Trump, hoping their products could be exempt from the upcoming import taxes, and Cook's investment commitment was seen as an important signal of goodwill towards the Trump administration.
Media reports indicate that this meeting between Trump and Huang was the second within a month.
Last month, Huang also met with Trump at the White House and attended an artificial intelligence summit held by Trump with senior government officials. Shortly after the July meeting at the White House, according to CCTV News, Huang announced that the U.S. had approved the sale of H20 chips to China.
Trump stated in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday:
“We will announce measures regarding semiconductors and chips, which is a separate category because we want them made in the U.S.”
Trump also mentioned that he would announce drug and chip tariff policies “around next week,” prompting related companies to intensify lobbying efforts to secure favorable conditions before the final policy is released.
Samsung and SK Hynix may be exempt from 100% chip tariffs
On Thursday, South Korean trade envoy Yoo Han-koo stated that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix would not face the 100% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on chips.
Yoo Han-koo mentioned in a radio program that among many countries, South Korea would enjoy the most favorable chip tariff rates under the U.S.-Korea trade agreement.
Public information shows that Samsung has invested in two chip manufacturing plants in Austin and Taylor, Texas, while SK Hynix has announced plans to build an advanced chip packaging plant and AI product R&D facilities in Indiana.
Yuanta Securities analyst Bai Jixuan stated:
“Although both Samsung and SK Hynix have invested in the U.S., the market is skeptical about whether SK Hynix's packaging plant can fully enjoy tariff exemptions.”
“Samsung seems to benefit not only from this but also from the news of joining Apple's supply chain.” On Wednesday, Apple stated that Samsung Electronics will supply chips for Apple products, including the iPhone, from its manufacturing plant located in Texas
