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Apple CEO Tim Cook (right) announces the company’s investment plans in the U.S. at the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 6. President Donald Trump (third from right) listens with a smile, alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (second from right) and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. / Source: AFP·Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump said on August 6 that his administration would impose “about 100%” tariffs on imported semiconductors, raising concerns of a potentially severe blow to key exporters like South Korea.

Speaking at a White House event where Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a $10 billion increase to Apple’s U.S. investment — bringing its total planned investment to $60 billion over four years — Trump declared, “We’re going to impose about 100% tariffs on semiconductors.”

However, he did not specify when the tariffs would take effect.

Semiconductors are South Korea’s second-largest export to the United States after automobiles, and a 100% tariff could significantly impact Korea’s trade. Trump’s comment, therefore, sparked immediate concern in Seoul and among chip exporters globally.

The Trump administration has previously used high tariff threats to push for trade deals. While it imposed a 25% tariff on foreign-made automobiles, it eventually settled for a reduced rate of 15% for cars imported from trade partners like South Korea, Japan, and the European Union.

Given this precedent, Trump’s “100%” remark may be more symbolic than literal — interpreted as a signal of “very high” tariffs rather than a precise figure. For instance, on July 14, Trump warned that if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, he would impose secondary sanctions — including “about 100% tariffs” — on Russian trading partners. Yet when announced, India was only hit with a 25% tariff.

Still, industry watchers warn that semiconductors remain a vulnerable sector despite the U.S.’s strength in chip design and manufacturing equipment. The U.S. still lags behind major producers like South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and even China in actual semiconductor fabrication capacity. Given this context, the possibility of high tariffs — potentially nearing 100% — remains very much on the table.