Trump Hints at Big Fees on Chips, May Push Up Tech Costs
U.S. leader Donald Trump has shown a move to set big new trade fees on main goods, with chips maybe seeing fees as high as 300%. The plan, which also looks at steel and drug items, could shake up the world tech scene a lot.
The 300% Risk and What It Might Do Soon
The size of the fees is big. Speaking to the press, Trump said, "I am going to have a rate that is going to be 200%, 300%." This is not a small change; it's a shift that would change the price way of almost all tech stuff now.
To show what it means for buyers, a top graphics card like Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5090, which sells for about $1,999, could go up to about $6,000. This big rise could make top level tech and games too costly for many.
A Big Freeze on Plans
More than just high costs for buyers, the talk of such high fees puts a freeze on the whole chip making line. This long "will he or won't he" time makes chip makers, tech brands, and AI groups stop and think hard. Money that could go to new work and new stuff goes to plans for fees that might not even come.
This unsure air slows real money use and can lead to fast, poor choices as companies judge the risks of waiting against the high costs of moving work to the U.S. fast.
More than GPUs The Fear of a Big Tech Trade War
The problem goes way past PC parts. Chips are in so many things, from phones and home tools to cars and health tools. A 300% fee could change prices for almost all, making things cost a lot more for buyers.
Plus, such a step would likely cause other places to set fees back, starting a full tech trade war. This could break supply lines, split the tech market, and stop new ideas all over the world.
The Legal Part Section 232
The way for these possible fees is a Section 232 check, which lets the leader change fees on goods seen as a risk to national safety. The U.S. Trade Office has been looking into chips since April 2025, but we don't know when it will end, creating more unsure times.
