Trump says Apple has agreed to 'build' chips with Intel

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that Apple has agreed to collaborate with Intel on designing and manufacturing chips in the United States, although neither company has confirmed th... Read original →

If Apple genuinely partners with Intel on the M7 SoC, the technical ripple effect extends far beyond foundry substitution: successful adoption of Intel’s 18A-P node would compel EDA vendors, IP providers, and OSATs to align with Intel’s PDK ecosystem, directly challenging TSMC’s (Taiwan, China) dominance in advanced-node infrastructure. Compliance-wise, while this move aligns with U.S. CHIPS Act incentives, Apple faces >30% higher costs and yield risks, without escaping reliance on ASML’s EUV tools. Competitively, TSMC may accelerate its Arizona 3nm ramp to retain flagship clients, while NVIDIA could lock in CoWoS capacity, squeezing Apple’s AI chip allocation. Within 18 months, the real tailwind won’t be reshoring—it’s the forced bifurcation of global fabless firms into geopolitically compliant, dual-supply chains, even at the cost of efficiency.