SEMI, with 660 other companies and associations, urged the Trump Administration in a letter today not to escalate its trade dispute with China by imposing new tariffs and to negotiate a resolution. The letter comes as the Office of the United States Trade Representative prepares for hearings next week in considering 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, including a number of products used in semiconductor manufacturing.
With intellectual property (IP) the crown jewel of the semiconductor industry, SEMI vigorously supports the stronger IP protections direly needed in international trade. However, we worry that the proposed and recently implemented tariffs will hurt companies in the semiconductor supply chain by introducing significant uncertainty, increasing costs and subjecting companies to retaliatory tariffs while ultimately doing nothing to address our concerns regarding China’s trade practices. We strongly encourage the administration to return to the negotiating table while working with our allies to develop global, enforceable trade solutions. There are no winners in a trade war.
Senior industry executives and SEMI staff raised this and other issues with policymakers last month as part of SEMI’s Spring Washington Forum. SEMI will continue to engage the Trump Administration as trade tensions continue.
Jay Chittooran is public policy manager at SEMI. He can by reached at jchittooran@semi.org.