Trump Advances AI Chip Tariffs

Plus: U.S. and Taiwan Lock In Major Trade Deal

January 15, 2026

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Good Afternoon, AI Architects! 

Today’s headline that’s got everyone talking….. The Trump administration has officially rolled out a 25% tariff on certain advanced AI semiconductors, narrowing its focus to high-end chips like Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X that are made outside the U.S.

Let’s break it down.

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What’s Trending

Trump Moves Forward With Targeted AI Chip Tariffs

Art Of The Deal Penguin GIF by Pudgy Penguins

The Trump administration has officially rolled out a 25% tariff on certain advanced AI semiconductors, narrowing its focus to high-end chips like Nvidia’s H200 and AMD’s MI325X that are made outside the U.S., routed through the U.S., and then exported abroad, including to China. The decision locks in an earlier approval from the Commerce Department allowing Nvidia to ship H200 chips to vetted Chinese customers, a move Nvidia publicly praised as supportive of American jobs and manufacturing. Demand from Chinese companies is already strong, but the bigger question is how China responds, especially as it works on new rules that could allow limited overseas chip purchases despite its push to grow domestic production. The order does not affect chips imported and used inside the U.S. for research, defense, or commercial use, but it highlights a larger issue the administration is flagging loudly: the United States currently produces only about 10% of the chips it relies on, leaving both the economy and national security exposed to foreign supply chains.

That’s a Wrap for Today 👋

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