President Trump Renews Threat of Tariffs on Taiwan-Made Chips, Proposes $5,000 Election-Year Dividend
During a campaign rally in Dallas on September 9, President Trump reiterated his intention to impose substantial tariffs on semiconductor chips manufactured in Taiwan. He suggested potential tariff rates of 50%, 100%, or 200%. Concurrently, President Trump also proposed an election-year dividend of $5,000 for every adult U.S. citizen, contingent on Republicans securing control of both chambers of Congress in the upcoming November midterms. This proposed dividend, estimated to cost $1.35 trillion across the approximately 270 million adult U.S. population, would require recipients to spend the funds domestically. In response, Taiwan’s Executive Yuan stated that a January memorandum of understanding (MOU) securing Section 232 semiconductor tariff relief remains in effect, indicating ongoing discussions regarding specific semiconductor exemptions.