Jul 13, 2026 17:50:00

The Trump administration strongly supported Intel, and Apple may have been forced to cooperate with Intel in exchange for avoiding tariffs.

In June 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that '

Apple has agreed to jointly manufacture chips with Intel .' While it is true that the relationship between Apple and Intel has become considerably closer than it once was, it has been suggested that this may be because Apple promised to cooperate with Intel in exchange for avoiding the Trump administration's plan to impose 100% tariffs on semiconductors.

The White House Made Fixing Intel Its Pet Project. It's Working. - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/tech/the-white-house-intel-trump-apple-84fe833e

Apple's Tariff Exemption Came with a Price: Help Save Intel
https://www.ithinkdiff.com/apples-tariff-exemption-came-with-a-price-help-save-intel/

Apple's tariff exemption may have been helped by Intel deal
https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/07/11/apples-100-tariff-exemption-may-have-been-helped-by-intel-supply-deal

The collaboration between Apple and Intel was not announced by either company, but is merely a statement made by President Trump. However, President Trump has stated that 'America should reclaim its central position in the semiconductor industry,' making it clear that he is supporting Intel.

'Apple has agreed to jointly manufacture chips with Intel,' President Trump said - GIGAZINE

In August 2025, the U.S. government acquired 10% of Intel's shares, a move that President Trump himself stated was in exchange for government support. Indeed, after acquiring the shares, the U.S. government has provided strong support to Intel as planned.

US government acquires 10% stake in Intel, investing 1.3 trillion yen - GIGAZINE

It is believed that the Trump administration also played a role in NVIDIA's strategic partnership with Intel and acquisition of its shares in September 2025.

NVIDIA acquires approximately 740 billion yen worth of Intel stock, and also announced joint development of 'Intel x86 RTX SOCs' for PCs equipped with NVIDIA graphics and chips for AI data centers - GIGAZINE

In Apple's case, it has been decided that the manufacturing of chips for some of its products will be outsourced to Intel. The U.S. government is also involved in these moves, and in the summer of 2025, then-CEO Tim Cook was trying to persuade the Trump administration, which was planning to impose a 100% tariff on semiconductors, to cooperate with Intel as an alternative.

Attorney Scott Lincicombe, an expert on industrial policy, told the Wall Street Journal, 'The administration's heavy-handed intervention could set a bad precedent, especially if Intel fails to turn around its foundry business. Being a 'government favorite' works when things are going well, but when politicians try to get things done quickly when performance is declining, it will be a risk for Intel CEO Tan.'

In addition to this collaboration with Intel, Apple has decided to invest $600 billion (approximately 97.3 trillion yen) in the United States over four years.

Apple announces investment of over 88 trillion yen in the United States; iPhone tempered glass will be 100% made in the USA; President Trump will receive a glass and gold commemorative gift - GIGAZINE