Report: Apple Agreed to Intel Chips Amid White House Tariff Talks

Key Points:

• Last summer, Apple CEO Tim Cook lobbied the Trump administration to exempt the company from a proposed 100% tariff on semiconductor imports, securing relief after pledging significant U.S. investments, many of which were already planned.
• During tariff negotiations, President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly pressured Apple to use Intel's chip fabrication plants for some of its chips, linking the tariff talks to a new Apple-Intel deal.
• Nearly a year later, Trump announced that Apple would begin using Intel-made chips in some products, boosting Intel's stock to record highs; Apple plans to have Intel produce chips for Mac laptops and iPhones but will continue relying primarily on TSMC.
• The arrangement appears part of a broader government effort to support Intel, which has struggled financially and operationally, with the U.S. government holding a 10% equity stake after converting $9 billion in grants.
• Other major companies like Nvidia and SpaceX have also signed deals with Intel under similar government pressure, though no timeline has been provided for when Intel-made chips will appear in Apple products.