Report Says Apple Agreed to Use Intel’s U.S. Manufacturing as Part of Tariff Negotiations with the White House

According to reports citing The Wall Street Journal, Apple agreed to have some of its custom chips manufactured at Intel’s U.S. fabrication facilities after discussions with the White House during negotiations over proposed semiconductor tariffs. The report states that Apple CEO Tim Cook met with President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington in August 2025 while seeking relief from a proposed 100% tariff on imported semiconductors that could have significantly increased costs across Apple’s hardware lineup. During those meetings, administration officials reportedly encouraged Apple to use Intel’s domestic manufacturing capacity as part of a broader effort to expand semiconductor production in the United States. Apple is said to have received a tariff exemption after committing to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S., although the report notes that many of those investments had already been planned. Nearly a year later, President Trump publicly stated that Apple would begin using Intel-made chips in some products, reinforcing the administration’s goal of increasing domestic chip production. News of the reported arrangement contributed to a sharp rise in Intel’s stock price. The report indicates that Intel could manufacture chips intended for both Mac laptops and iPhones, but it does not specify which chip designs, production volumes, or timeline. Apple is still expected to rely primarily on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for most of its custom silicon, meaning any Intel production would likely complement rather than replace Apple’s existing manufacturing strategy.