Tariffs have been imposed on Taiwan, and TSMC is not yet able to produce all of its newest chips in the United States, and of course, the capacity wouldn’t be sufficient either. So how would Nvidia and AMD be protected?
Or have I missed that tariffs do not apply to TSMC - which, however, largely accounts for Taiwan’s exports to the USA.
A spokesperson for AMD, which, like Nvidia, produces its AI chips in Taiwan, told BI the company is closely monitoring the regulations.
“Although semiconductors are exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, we are assessing the details and any impacts on our broader customer and partner ecosystem,” the spokesperson said in an email statement.
Ilmeisesti joiltain osin on tullivapautus, mutta epävarmuutta on paljon ilmassa.
So, only the wafers are made in the USA, and everything is still sent to Taiwan because the packaging plant isn’t even really started in Arizona. So, not a single usable microchip from TSMC in Arizona is coming yet; everything goes through Taiwan. Taiwan could, of course, start charging tariffs on these… My understanding is that there isn’t a single place in the USA that could package these. Japan would be the closest place.
And the largest part of TSMC’s production goes to China. Apple doesn’t do anything with those chips in the USA. So, even if the chips were tariff-free to send from Taiwan to the USA, there isn’t much joy in that in the end. The situation might be slightly different for Nvidia; I’m not sure.
Here is a comprehensive table of industry players again 
https://x.com/ConsensusGurus/status/1911196639361933597
The tweet below states that TSMC’s and ASML’s results are now more than just numbers – they reflect the semiconductor industry’s survival in a situation where geopolitics is disrupting the rules of the game. TSMC’s AI-driven growth could cool down if tariffs tighten or markets brace for the worst. ASML, on the other hand, is balancing China’s rapid technological rise, which could weaken its pricing power and position.
In summary, the tweet reveals how investors are no longer looking just at the quarter, but at the “whole game.” The results are being scrutinized for indications of whether the global system will hold together or if we are moving into a new - more uncertain - era. Now, it’s being weighed who not only creates high-tech and more, but also who can navigate the geopolitical minefield.
Some parts of the tweet went a bit over my head, and there might be minor misunderstandings in the text above.
https://x.com/StockSavvyShay/status/1911418705671503944
Response to the trade war
(The chips still make a round through Taiwan for packaging, at least for now, and a huge number of server components also come from that direction, but hey… at least the assembly of the servers themselves is being brought to the US, and packaging capacity is being set up so that one day wafers no longer need to be routed through Taiwan.)
Following the news, shares of Nvidia and other AI companies plummeted in stock markets.
President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed additional export restrictions on Nvidia’s H20 chips destined for China. In addition, export restrictions were imposed on Nvidia’s competitor AMD’s MI308 chips and other similar products. Going forward, the export of these products to China will require a special license granted by the U.S. government.
ASML’s Q1 2025 results were mixed, as revenue, net profit, and new orders decreased compared to the previous quarter, but on the other hand, the company managed to improve its margin.
https://x.com/Quality_stocksA/status/1912394579384422513
EDIT:
Oh, I just noticed this comment from @Atte_Riikola regarding ASML.
Here is a summary of TSMC’s results.
TSMC’s revenue grew year-over-year but decreased slightly from the previous quarter, likely due to seasonal fluctuations in smartphones.
“Advanced technologies” accounted for the majority of wafer revenue. The largest sources of revenue were high-performance computing and smartphones. So-called “AI demand” was also strong based on what I read.
An interesting combination. Applied Materials, a leading equipment manufacturer in the semiconductor industry from the front-end side, in cooperation with Besi. However, Besi is more known for its back-end processes, so this is quite an interesting approach from Applied Materials. This will surely significantly increase Besi’s visibility.
Intel’s Q1 revenue remained flat at $12.7 billion, but the result was a loss.
PC business declined, but data center and AI grew. The company is lowering its investment and spending targets, additionally, Intel is selling a majority stake in its Altera business and has completed the sale of its NAND business.
New processors released.
https://x.com/Earnings_Time/status/1915497231978824098
EDIT:
The Bloomberg article also states how Intel expects next quarter’s revenue to be lower than analysts’ forecasts. The company plans to reduce and streamline administration to speed up decision-making and thus lower its operating costs in the coming years.
The article also highlights a change in Intel’s leadership, with a new CEO having taken over after his predecessor struggled to restore the company’s competitiveness.
The company also admitted to missing out on the rapid growth of AI computing, where a competitor has gained a significant market position.
Qualcomm reported a strong quarter despite a challenging economic and trade environment. According to CEO Cristiano Amon, the company is focusing on what it can control: technology leadership, a broad product portfolio, customer relationships, and efficiency.
Qualcomm’s priorities continue to be expanding the business into new areas and investing in technologies that generate long-term value. The results show that the strategy works even in uncertain conditions.
https://x.com/Earnings_Time/status/1917672103253250490
Steve from Gamers Nexus and Wendell from Level1 Tech discuss the competitive situation between Arm and x86 architectures.
x86 is still in the lead in terms of raw performance (depending on the use case) and largely in terms of compatibility, but Arm, being more cost- and energy-efficient, is a more attractive option for an increasing number of use cases, including in the data center sector (Arm’s “home turf” is mobile devices).
Wendell speculates that among x86 companies, AMD is more ready than Intel, if necessary, to offer Arm alternatives.
Compatibility with older software still supports x86 in many places, but on the other hand, the faster Arm processors develop, the less significant the additional emulation overhead will be if x86 does not increase its lead.
Duration 23 min.
AMD’s first quarter started strongly, with the company’s revenue and profitability growing significantly. The data center business, in particular, performed strongly, reportedly thanks to EPYC processors and Instinct GPUs. The consumer and gaming segments also significantly increased their revenues.
CEO Lisa Su emphasized that the company has achieved four consecutive quarters of growth and that the strengthening demand in core businesses and AI-related areas is a key driver. Even though the market environment is challenging in many ways, the competitiveness and consistent performance of AMD’s products provide a solid foundation for growth throughout the year.
CFO Jean Hu, in turn, highlighted the improved results brought about by the scalable business and confirmed that the company continues to invest in product development and marketing.
The goal is long-term growth and creating added value for shareholders.
https://x.com/TalkFinanceX/status/1919849480360165693
https://x.com/StockMarketNerd/status/1919850677624356993
EDIT:
Good comparisons and tables are important, especially these comparison tables:
Is it okay to inquire from those who know more about Micron Technology’s situation/news? I bought Micron after the customs bill. Today, a 4% rise. I also bought Nvidia and Broadcom. Micron has risen most briskly of the three.
TSMC’s April sales grew significantly compared to both the previous month and a year ago.
The company has had a strong start to the year, and demand for semiconductors appears to remain strong. The figures indicate good momentum in the market.
https://x.com/StockMKTNewz/status/1920830199639199858
Here are the semiconductors in a nice comparison table.
Above is the picture after Q4 and here is the picture after Q1
Applied Materials released strong results yesterday. Earnings grew by almost 28 percent year-over-year, and margins improved significantly, which likely indicates effective cost-cutting measures and strong operational performance. Growth in semiconductor systems and display business particularly supported the overall development.
The company didn’t quite meet investor expectations; for example, revenue fell short of forecasts, and the cautious guidance was also not well-received. Furthermore, the free cash flow margin weakened, and the markets reacted sensitively, as expectations have been high; on the other hand, the long-term outlook seems to remain strong.
https://x.com/Earnings_Time/status/1923107870662340955
Here are some more comments on the company’s results.
https://x.com/SergeyCYW/status/1923219076870177041
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Here’s also a tweet about the company’s share buybacks, of course, these have also been in the company’s own materials.
