Report says Apple’s Intel chip deal may have helped it avoid 100% semiconductor tariffs

Multiple outlets report that Apple received a major exemption from U.S. semiconductor import tariffs and that the exemption may be linked to Apple’s dealings with Intel. One account says that as Intel is expected to make at least some upcoming chips for Macs and iPhones, this development could be the key to an exemption Apple obtained almost a year earlier. Another source describes Apple facing the prospect of 100% semiconductor tariffs and, in August 2025, securing an exemption from those import fees. While that exemption was initially attributed to Apple’s investment in U.S. manufacturing, the second report argues it may also have been influenced by Apple contracting Intel for chip production and that the arrangement helped persuade President Trump to grant the tariff relief. Both reports center on the same timeframe and outcome: an August 2025 tariff exemption for semiconductors and a potential role for an Intel supply arrangement in achieving or supporting that exemption. The articles focus on reported connections between Intel’s expected manufacturing role and the earlier tariff decision.