SEMI Responds to U.S. Tariffs on Advanced Semiconductors and Critical Minerals

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SEMI, the leading industry association representing the global semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, released a statement in response to President Trump signing two Presidential Proclamations addressing U.S. semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains. The first imposes a 25 percent tariff on certain advanced computing chips while exempting those imports for specific use cases. It also directs executive branch officials to continue negotiating with trading partners and signals that broader tariffs, along with a tariff offset program to encourage domestic manufacturing, may be implemented in the near future.

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The second Proclamation focuses on critical minerals, directing officials to engage with trading partners to reduce vulnerabilities in these supply chains and authorizing the United States to take further action if negotiations fail to mitigate the risks. These actions follow the conclusion of investigations initiated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in April 2025 to assess the national security implications of imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and their derivatives, as well as processed critical minerals and their derivatives.

SEMI released the following statement in response to the actions announced by the White House:

“SEMI supports the Administration’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains and shares its position that semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and critical minerals are vital for U.S. economic and national security. 

“Following yesterday's announcement, we are encouraged to see the Administration implement a targeted approach for both actions and establish a non-stacking framework consistent with SEMI’s advocacy. This demonstrates responsiveness to industry concerns about minimizing supply chain disruptions while addressing specific national security priorities.

“As reflected in SEMI’s public comments, the semiconductor industry is making historic investments to expand domestic manufacturing capacity. At the same time, the global semiconductor supply chain consists of highly specialized and interdependent segments that cannot be easily replicated or relocated within a commercially viable timeframe. SEMI appreciates the Administration’s measured approach and efforts to avoid unintentionally constraining ongoing U.S. manufacturing expansions and global competitiveness.

“SEMI urges the Administration to continue engaging closely with industry to ensure any further trade actions account for commercial and operational realities, and minimize unintended impacts on global supply chains. SEMI looks forward to working with the Administration on the implementation of these trade actions and will continue to advocate for approaches that advance the Administration’s objectives of strengthening the resilience of the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and enhancing U.S. global competitiveness.”