A US presidential proclamation signed on 14 January imposes a 25% tariff on imports of certain advanced computing chips and derivative products, from 15 January 2026 [1].
The tariff does not apply to chips imported for US data centres, repairs in the US, US research and development, or start-ups [1].
Nor does it apply to consumer and civil industrial uses outside data centres, or to the public sector [1].
The proclamation also directs trade negotiations on semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, and says significant broader tariffs may follow depending on how they go [1].
What it covers
Only the "Covered Products" in the proclamation's annex: a narrow category of advanced computing chips, as the Commerce Secretary recommended for this first phase [1].
The Secretary found that the US consumes roughly a quarter of the world's semiconductors but fully manufactures only about 10% of the chips it needs [1].
The Secretary was due to report on the market for data-centre chips by 1 July 2026, so the tariff could be modified [1].
What it does not tell you
How much trade the tariff actually touches, given the exemptions. The proclamation does not estimate it [1].
What broader tariffs, if any, will follow. They depend on negotiations still under way [1].
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