The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were intended to encourage manufacturing to return to the United States. In the case of chips and advanced semiconductors, Washington aims to reduce reliance on Taiwan amid geopolitical tensions with China and to strengthen domestic production in order to prevent potential market disruptions. At the same time, however, these tariffs mean you end up paying more for your next smartphone.
According to a new DigiTimes report, Taiwan’s chipmaking giant TSMC is planning to raise the prices of its advanced chip nodes by 5–10 percent in 2026, citing U.S. tariffs, currency fluctuations, and supply chain efficiency challenges.
The reported price hike will affect chips produced with 5nm/4nm, 3nm, and 2nm process technologies, while TSMC may offer discounts on its older nodes. The company has reportedly already notified its partners of the upcoming changes.
Major tech companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and Qualcomm rely heavily on TSMC’s manufacturing technologies. As a result, any price increase by TSMC could have a direct impact on the products of its foundry partners.
Previous reports from Taiwanese sources suggested that TSMC could charge up to $30,000 per wafer for its 2nm process, while more advanced nodes might reach $45,000 per wafer. How these figures will shift following the latest price hike remains uncertain.
DigiTimes recently reported that TSMC’s 2nm process is on track for a 2026 launch, with mass production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. Apple and Qualcomm are among TSMC’s biggest customers, and unsurprisingly, Apple has reportedly reserved as much as 50 percent of the 2nm production capacity.
The upcoming iPhone 17 series will feature the A19 chip built on TSMC’s 3nm process, while Apple has reserved 2nm capacity for the A20 Pro chipset, expected to debut with the iPhone 18 lineup.
Qualcomm also utilizes TSMC’s 2nm process for the next generation of Snapdragon chips, which are set to debut on flagship Android phones.
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