U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose new tariffs on imported steel next week and on semiconductor chips the following week, signalling a further escalation of his trade policy. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on 15 Aug., Trump framed the duties as part of a campaign to push manufacturers to shift production to the United States. The president said the levies will start at a “lower” rate to give companies time to invest domestically, then rise sharply over time. Trump has recently floated a 100 % duty on chips and told reporters the rate could ultimately reach 200 % or even 300 %, while firms that commit to building U.S. facilities may be exempt. The move would expand a tariff regime that already doubled steel and aluminium duties to 50 % earlier this year and comes as the Commerce Department conducts a Section 232 national-security probe into semiconductor imports. Chipmakers and electronics producers, including Apple, Nvidia and AMD, are awaiting details as trading partners prepare possible responses.