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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring equity stakes in semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC that receive subsidies under the CHIPS and Science Act. While experts doubt the feasibility of the plan, they note it underscores the United States’ increasingly explicit push to tighten control over the global semiconductor industry.
According to a Reuters report on August 19, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is reviewing options that would allow the federal government to take ownership stakes in chipmakers building plants in the U.S. with CHIPS Act support. Two unnamed sources told Reuters that President Donald Trump supports the idea.
The news comes as the administration has already outlined plans to acquire shares in Intel. Under the proposal, the federal government would convert approximately $10.9 billion in pledged subsidies into equity, equivalent to roughly a 10% stake in the company based on Intel’s current market capitalization of $110.7 billion. Lutnick clarified in a CNBC interview, however, that any such shares would be “non-voting stock,” stressing the government would not seek management control.
Subsidy allocations determined under the previous Biden administration include $6.6 billion for TSMC and $4.75 billion for Samsung Electronics. If applied on the same basis as Intel, a stake in Samsung would amount to approximately 1.6% of its current ₩414 trillion ($307 billion) market capitalization.
Industry analysts remain skeptical about the plan’s implementation but agree it reflects Washington’s intensifying efforts to secure leverage in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
