Trump to impose 25% to 100% tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, impacting TSMC

[apfelwoischoppen@lemmy.world]

OK. It is ahistorical and hyperbolic to say they may never do that. They also have their fabs i n Taiwan rigged to self destruct if they get invaded. They are setting up shop in a different country. As fab dies shrink they get harder to make, they are building expertise somewhere else in case.

[ag10n@lemmy.world]

I wouldn’t say 5nm and 3nm are low end

https://pr.tsmc.com/english/news/2977

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tsmcs-arizona-fab-21-mass-produces-4nm-chips-at-a-higher-price-than-taiwan

[cheems@lemmy.world]

Yeah but what corporation is going to think of the obvious solution?

[philpo@feddit.org]

And in two weeks there will be a special executive order to free his Tech Bro oligarch buddies from these tarrifs so Meta and Elmo are not forced to pay a dollar extra.

[supersynthia@lemmy.world]

I say this not to be reactionary or pro trump.

Is there no way to use lesser nodes for wider applications? While there are processes that need as much speed as possible, I feel like what gives Taiwan semiconducting industries such great business is the fact that code optimization isn't as cost effective as the latest and greatest chips.

I HOPE these tariffs inspire better, more secure code to make less efficient chips more viable. Like a lemon to lemonade situation.

[humanspiral@lemmy.ca]

To avoid this, the administration would need to introduce exemptions, just like it did with China-made graphics cards and motherboards years ago.

If that is the approach, it would ensure tech monopoly for 5 years for all of the oligarchy that kisses his diaper.

More major issues with this is that while high end Chip production may be high value manufacturing, motherboards, electronics, and assembly is not, and there would likely be an export of chips to somewhere else to import finished products.

US/Trump explicit hatred for world is likely to get retributive tariffs, that makes chip plants unproductive investments, though Trump is hoping to have high foreign ownership/investment in those plants.

In 2022, the export share of Taiwan integrated circuits to US was just 2.46%, although in early 2024, total (all goods) Taiwan exports had US take lead over China for the first time.

That both US and China are decoupling from Taiwan is going to reduce any geopolitical subservience impulse that provokes a war with China. Taiwan may get closer to China instead of begging for more US "friendship".

[humanspiral@lemmy.ca]

I believe the plant is operational, as they have bragged about "great production tests". What I haven't heard of is any orders placed for that plant's products.

[infinitevalence@discuss.online]

More so when these plants take 10 years to build. They will pass along the cost and just wait him out.

[manomorphos@lemmy.world]

People hyped for the Nvidia 5000 series better get their cards before prices skyrocket across the board. I guess graphics cards weren't expensive enough or something.

Really though, no brand is safe from the soon-to-be insane prices if this does go through as a blanket tariff without exceptions. Better to err on the safe side and upgrade soon as you can, if you need to and you're not too wealthy to care.

[dragontamer@lemmy.world]

If you optimize code, it will still run faster if the CPU or GPU is 30% faster.

[collapse_already@lemmy.ml]

Can the fat fuck die from a coronary already?

[0x0@programming.dev]

Maybe it'll bring chip prices down to Rest of the World to clear stock. Thanks Trump!

[0x0@programming.dev]

Isn't the 2A to bring down tyrant governments?

[apfelwoischoppen@lemmy.world]

Yeah I know, talking a lot of blowhard talk. Chip die size was the arbitrary argument, but again, that just takes time. They are hedging their bet with a supposed ally with China being their big threat.

"TSMC will produce 3nm chips in the U.S., and Taiwan has already given TSMC the go-signal to manufacture 2nm chips abroad. "

[ivanafterall@lemmy.world]

Look at Henry Kissinger. If left to nature, Trump will live to be 120.

[kibiz0r@midwest.social]

Also, half of the gains in recent years have been in energy efficiency, not just speed.

So if the idea is to do more with less, you don’t wanna rely on old power-hungry designs.

[bemorecareful@lemmy.world]

I don't get the goal here. It's not just that existing fabs are in Taiwan, I thought it was the knowledge was as well.

I was under the impression that we'd built a couple of fabs here and they're not productive due to a knowledge deficit. Maybe I'm uninformed.

It seems, to my uninformed self, that if we impose tariffs we'd be strengthening Taiwan/China relations. Wouldn't China still serve as a middle man?

I don't see us manufacturing when the dollar is so high relative to foreign currency; add in the lack of knowledge and facilities and I'm not sure what you get.

[mosscap@slrpnk.net]

One finger victory salute

[jaymesrs@literature.cafe]

But I thought the Tim Apple donation to the trump inauguration was supposed to curry enough favor to avoid this.

ThisIsMySurpisedFace.jpg.

[voroxpete@sh.itjust.works]

Sure, "low end" wasn't a perfectly scientifically accurate way to describe it. I apologize for my terrible lack of academic rigor.

The point is that they're not going to let their highest end processes be replicated outside of Taiwan. Or, rather, the Taiwanese government is not going to let that happen, because fear of losing access to that technology is their one bargaining chip with the West. Without that, they cease to exist as a country. There just isn't enough incentive for anyone to risk a war with China otherwise.