Highest up to 250%! Trump said he will announce tariffs on chip and drug imports in "about a week or so" in the future.

President Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. government will announce tariffs on imported products in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries in the "next week or so" in an effort to reshape the global trade landscape and force key industries to return manufacturing to the U.S. In an interview, Trump stated, "We're going to put a small tariff on, initially, but it'll go up. 150%, and then ultimately 250% over the course of 1 year, 1 year and a half, because we want our medicines made in our country." He also mentioned that the U.S. government will "announce separately" tariffs on semiconductors and chips. The U.S. Department of Commerce has been conducting an investigation into the global semiconductor market since April of this year, laying the legal groundwork for potential tariff actions. According to forecasts, the annual sales of the global semiconductor market are close to $700 billion. This move could have a significant impact on large data center operators that rely on high-end chips, including companies like Microsoft Corporation, OpenAI, Meta, and Amazon.com, Inc. These companies are heavily investing in artificial intelligence businesses and have a pressing need for advanced chips. Once tariffs are implemented, costs could rise dramatically. Trump has been advocating for using tariffs to stimulate domestic manufacturing investment, particularly in pushing for chip production to return to the U.S. In the interview, he praised Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. for its expansion plans in the U.S.: "You know, we have one of the largest chip manufacturers in the world investing $300 billion in Arizona, building the largest chip plant in the world." However, the claimed investment amount of "300 billion dollars" by Trump has not been confirmed. According to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.'s official plans, their total investment in Arizona is estimated to be $165 billion, to build 6 advanced manufacturing plants, 2 packaging plants, and a research center. Both Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and the White House have not responded to Trump's claim. In addition to semiconductors, Trump also warned that the pharmaceutical industry will face more disruptive tariff policies, with the goal of bringing pharmaceutical production back to the U.S. He has recently pressured major drug suppliers to significantly lower prices, or face more undisclosed punitive measures. Currently, global pharmaceutical giants like Merck & Co., Inc. and Eli Lilly have numerous manufacturing facilities worldwide. According to data from the U.S. Biotechnology Innovation Organization, nearly 90% of biotech companies in the U.S. rely on imported raw materials or key components for at least half of their approved products. The tariffs on key industries such as pharmaceuticals and metals are based on national security investigations conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. These investigations typically last nine months and provide stronger legal basis compared to Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on specific countries, which is currently facing legal challenges in court.