Will Trump’s chip tariffs tilt the balance for China in Southeast Asia?
New US duties could add to distrust of Washington in Asia, where Beijing is trying to win friends and influence people
US President Donald Trump announced the duties on semiconductors and chips on Wednesday, saying that only companies that were “building in the United States” were exempt.
It is unclear just how much of a US manufacturing presence companies would need to have to qualify for tariff exemptions or reductions, or whether the policy will differentiate between the more advanced AI chips and legacy semiconductors.
With the region already struggling to absorb other tariffs imposed as part of Trump’s “America first” policy, the latest US duties – as well as Washington’s policy unpredictability – could open the way for China, analysts said.