The administration of President Donald Trump has launched national security investigations into imports of chips and pharmaceutical products, which, according to U.S. media, will be used to impose new tariffs on these products.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) published several official notices announcing the start of these investigations, which will cover the machinery used to manufacture semiconductors, products containing chips, and pharmaceutical ingredients.
The new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products would be issued under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the president to impose tariffs to protect U.S. national security.
Trump already hinted that he would impose new tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products this same week, aiming to boost domestic production.
The U.S. currently relies heavily on imported chips from countries like Taiwan and China, a situation the Republican government considers a risk to national security.
Many of the medications consumed in the country also come from countries like Ireland, India, or China, as Trump himself noted, who wants them to be produced domestically again.
Semiconductors
In the case of microchips, experts and industry figures warn that this move could backfire—not only for foreign companies importing these products into the U.S. but also for the country itself, as companies that depend on them, like Apple, or producers like Nvidia, would be affected.
Image: DiarioNY
