The Trump administration plans to announce the results of its national security investigation into semiconductor imports in two weeks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday.
The probe, launched under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, could lead to new tariffs on foreign chips and pharmaceuticals.
President Donald Trump made the announcement after a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland. He said many companies, including some from Taiwan, plan to invest in chip manufacturing in the United States to avoid possible new tariffs.
He added that von der Leyen had avoided the pending chip tariffs “in a much better way.”
Trump and von der Leyen also announced a new framework trade deal that sets 15% tariffs on EU imports across the board. The agreement includes the auto sector, which now faces a 25% tariff under a separate action.
Lutnick said the semiconductor probe was one of the main reasons the EU wanted to negotiate a broader trade agreement that would resolve all trade issues at once.
The administration has also started similar Section 232 investigations into copper and lumber imports. Earlier investigations into steel, aluminium, and autos led to the 25% tariffs reintroduced after Trump returned to office in January.
In April, the Trump administration said it was reviewing U.S. reliance on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals as a national security concern. A 10% general tariff introduced in April is set to rise for most major trade partners starting August 1.
The U.S. depends heavily on chip imports from Taiwan. Former President Joe Biden had tried to reduce that reliance through the Chips Act, offering large incentives to attract chipmakers to the United States.
