Trump Says Apple, Intel to Design and Make Chips in US, Stressing Semiconductor Revival

Trump Announces Tie-Up on Truth Social

'Chip Design and Manufacturing Will Be Done in the US'

President Donald Trump said Apple had agreed to work with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the US. The statement underscored his emphasis on reviving the domestic semiconductor industry as the US government holds a stake in Intel.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 18 that Apple had agreed to partner with Intel to design and produce chips in the US. He made the comment while sharing news about Intel, the US chipmaker in which the government holds a 10% stake.

The prospect of cooperation between Apple and Intel had already emerged in foreign media reports. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Apple had reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to handle part of the manufacturing of Apple-designed chips.

Trump also stressed the need to rebuild a US-centered semiconductor supply chain. "The technology the world depends on was invented in America," he wrote. "We all remember 'Intel Inside.'" He argued that the US must not stop at designing chips and should manufacture them domestically as well.

He also targeted previous administrations. Trump said "foolish presidents" had taken the US economy for granted and let Taiwan and other countries "steal" US semiconductor plants. They had also forgotten that tariffs were needed to protect American industry, he added.

Trump said it had become clear after the start of his second term that the US needed to reclaim its semiconductor industry. "We design everything, but now we have to produce it here," he said.

Trump also mentioned the value of the government's Intel stake. He said Intel shares acquired last year using about $9 billion in federal subsidies had risen sharply in value. Intel's valuation had climbed from about $100 billion at the time to more than $600 billion, an increase of more than $500 billion in just nine months, according to Trump.

Trump also cited other Intel-related partnerships. He pointed to Nvidia's plan to work with Intel on central processing units for data centers and Tesla's decision to join Intel in building the "Terra Fab," which he described as the world's largest chip plant.

Kim Dae-young, Hankyung.com reporter kdy@hankyung.com