Insight: Big Beautiful Tariffs and the AI Boom
Explore the impact of Trump's radical trade shift—learn how sweeping tariffs mark a historic break from US policy and what it means for semiconductors, AI, and global markets.
President Trump ended 100 years of US trade policy on Wednesday, April 2, when he confirmed his intent to re-equilibrate global trade through a blanket of 10% on every import and additional double-digit tariffs on most US trade partners. The tariff rate on all imports would be about 10 times larger than today and above 20% (above Great Depression levels). The US, a long-time proponent of free trade and commercial negotiations, is now firmly embarking on a solitary journey of protectionism and isolation. Despite strong fundamentals, the compute semiconductor market will unlikely benefit in the short term—artificial intelligence and robotics might.
