Trump announced U.S. duties on semiconductor and drug imports

The United States will impose duties on the purchase of foreign semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, as well as possibly impose tariffs on steel and some other products. This was announced on January 27 by American President Donald Trump during his speech before the faction of the ruling Republican Party of the House of Representatives of Congress in the White House Head Golf Club in Miami.

"In the near future, we will impose duties on foreign-made computer chips, semiconductors and pharmaceutical [products] to bring the production of these critical goods back to the United States of America," Trump said.

He specified that manufacturers stopped buying American products and started buying from Taiwan, where, according to Trump, 98% of the "semiconductor business" is concentrated.

Also, the US president said that the new White House administration will "take care of medicines". In addition, the list of industries that will be given more time to produce will include "steel and some other industries".

Shifting vows: will Trump fulfill all his campaign promises

And how the president of the United States has changed since 2017

On inauguration day, January 20, Trump announced plans to create the Foreign Revenue Service, which will regulate duties on goods imported into the United States. Later, on January 25, Politico reported that there were disagreements within Trump's team on the issue of imposing duties on imported goods. According to the newspaper, Trump has not begun to address the issue of duties on foreign goods after his appointment, which indicates his indecisiveness on the issue.

On January 22, Politico Europe reported that the European Union (EU) and the UK have prepared retaliatory measures in case Trump raises duties on goods from European countries. It was specified that officials hope that they will be able to convince Trump to refuse to impose "punitive tariffs" on European products. Nevertheless, if this happens, they are ready to apply retaliatory measures.

In November last year, it became known that the EU fears that a new trade war between the countries of the association and Washington may start.