After a tense escalation in the trade conflict between China and the United States, last April saw China announce that it would match Washington’s tariffs by imposing a staggering 125% tariff on imports of American products, which notably includes semiconductors . With this legislative move, China not only retaliated but also crafted a strategy to mitigate its own economic harm.
The country of origin. This principle is crucial for China to shield itself from any adverse impacts of its tariffs. On April 11, the Chinese Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) published a notice detailing the rules for determining the country of origin of semiconductor products. According to these guidelines, the country of origin is established based on where the semiconductor wafer was manufactured, rather than where it was designed or finally packaged. By implementing this, China effectively sidesteps a potential “Boomerang Effect,” where tariffs imposed to punish another country ultimately backfire and harm the economy of the imposing nation.
The effect Boomerang. This phenomenon occurs when a tariff intended to penalize another nation, in this case, the United States, ends up harming the economy of the country that enacted it. In response to tariffs imposed by Trump, China implemented its own 125% tariffs. While these measures may hurt American businesses looking to sell their products in China, they pose a particular threat to the semiconductor industry. This sector is highly susceptible because American initiatives impact many Chinese companies reliant on US-produced chips.
Changing the “passport.” This strategy allows some companies to bypass Chinese tariffs . For example, when importing an AMD chip —an American product—if it was manufactured in Taiwan , it is classified as a Taiwanese product, thus not affected by the tariffs. This reclassification has surprised several market analysts, as the country of origin is typically associated with the product’s packaging location, not where it was manufactured.
Why is this important? China is illustrating that the origin of a product, or its “nationality,” is not a fixed status, but rather a concept subject to interpretation. This approach affects the entire global supply chain, including not just semiconductors. In July, the White House issued an Executive Order that imposed a 40% penalty for products whose origin had been illegally altered (a practice known as transshipment) to escape tariffs. This move indicates that while the US is clamping down on imports, they might eventually reform regulations for exports, hinting at a more comprehensive strategy to address such trade issues.
A calculated movement. This tactic mirrors elements of dropshipping, where the physical origin of a product is intentionally obscured, though for different objectives. Michael Schulman, responsible for investments at Running Point Capital , described this strategy as “a calculated movement to maintain economic stability and promote foreign investment in local manufacturing.” The notion points to a broader scheme that seeks to ensure the semiconductor industry remains robust amid potential trade disruptions.
The affected companies. Tech giants such as AMD , Qualcomm , and NVIDIA use TSMC facilities in Taiwan to manufacture some of their chips, cleverly sidestepping the tariffs China imposed as retaliation. Conversely, firms like Texas Instruments and Intel are unable to escape these tariffs, as they maintain their manufacturing facilities in the United States, making them directly subject to the punitive measures put forth by Beijing.
In conclusion, the intricate web of tariffs and regulations between China and the United States has reshaped the global semiconductor landscape. With countries actively playing to their strengths, the future of the semiconductor industry remains uncertain yet dynamic. As both nations strategize against each other, it will be fascinating to observe how these policies impact the technology sector and the global economy at large.