On September 27, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration in the United States is gearing up to introduce a fresh policy. This initiative is designed to substantially curtail the nation's dependence on semiconductors manufactured overseas, spur domestic chip production, and overhaul the global supply chain.

The proposed policy mandates that chip companies maintain a 1:1 ratio between the volume of semiconductors produced within the U.S. and the quantity imported by their customers from abroad. Should companies consistently fall short of this ratio, they could be slapped with tariffs as high as 100% (on the surplus amount). However, chip manufacturers will be afforded a 'grace period', during which they can keep exporting chips to the U.S. via overseas foundries until their domestic facilities are up and running.

Previously, Trump declared a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, yet companies like NVIDIA and Apple, which have either already set up or pledged to establish factories in the U.S., are exempt from this measure. There's a widespread belief that TSMC and Samsung will also be spared. TSMC has proclaimed an extra $165 billion investment in the U.S., encompassing six advanced-process foundries. The first 4nm foundry is already in full-scale production, and the second 3nm foundry is under construction. Samsung, too, has unveiled a $44 billion investment in its Texas factory, which includes 4nm and 2nm foundry facilities.

Nonetheless, if this policy is put into effect, TSMC and Samsung's future chip production capacity in the U.S. will have to account for at least 50% of domestic customers' demand, with the possibility of increasing to 100% down the line. At present, the relevant stakeholders have not yet issued any responses to these speculations.