Greer says no immediate chip tariffs, but U.S. should keep protecting the sector

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday there is no immediate tariff action coming for semiconductors, but argued the sector still needs protection to support domestic production and reshoring.

Reuters reported the comments from a Micron Technology memory chip plant expansion event in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. The remarks suggest the administration is not preparing a new near-term tariff move on chips, even as Greer kept tariffs in the policy mix.

Greer has recently framed tariffs and trade agreements as tools to protect U.S. industrial capacity and economic security. That position aligns with the broader push by U.S. officials to bring more chip manufacturing back to the United States.

The White House in January said semiconductor imports threaten national security and issued a proclamation imposing semiconductor-related tariffs under Section 232. Greer’s latest comments do not appear to reverse that policy backdrop, but they do indicate no fresh tariff announcement is imminent.

Micron has been expanding its U.S. semiconductor footprint, including in Virginia, where the company has tied investment plans to domestic manufacturing incentives and government support.

The next question is whether USTR or the White House issues any further semiconductor trade action after Greer’s remarks, or whether the comments remain a signal of continued protectionist intent without an immediate new step.