The former U.S. president claims that trade pressure is driving the South Korean tech giant to build new plants in the country, while negotiations with South Korea continue.
Samsung could be the next major foreign company to announce a multimillion-dollar investment in the United States. This was stated by former President Donald Trump during a recent speech in which he discussed the impact of his trade policies with South Korea. According to Trump, the South Korean company is preparing to build “massive facilities” on U.S. soil as a direct result of the tariffs imposed during his administration.
“I heard that Samsung, because of the tariffs, is going to build huge facilities in the United States. If we hadn’t implemented the tariffs, they wouldn’t be doing it,” the former president stated, as reported by The Korea Herald.
The Trump administration, currently engaged in negotiations to update trade agreements with countries like India, Japan, and South Korea, appears to continue relying on the strategy of incentivizing foreign investments in exchange for more favorable access to the U.S. market. Companies like Apple, TSMC, and SoftBank have already announced investment plans worth billions of dollars in the U.S. in recent years, and Samsung seems to be following suit.
Expansion in Texas with Cutting-Edge Technology
Samsung already has a significant presence in Texas, particularly in the cities of Austin and Taylor. In the latter, the company is undertaking an ambitious semiconductor project expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The plant will be key in producing advanced 2-nanometer nodes, a highly anticipated component for tech giants like NVIDIA.
In 2024, the company announced the expansion of its campus in Taylor, which will have a total investment of $37 billion, following funding obtained through the U.S. CHIPS Act. However, sources close to the project confirmed that due to global economic challenges and adjustments in U.S. industrial policies, there was a reduction of $8 billion from the initial plan.
Samsung expects this expansion to generate around 10,000 jobs in the region, thus reinforcing its commitment to technological leadership from U.S. territory.
Appliances, TVs, and Possible Relocation
Beyond semiconductors, the multinational is also considering moving the production of appliances and televisions to new plants within the U.S., as part of a global realignment of its manufacturing lines. This move is reflected in its latest quarterly results and may be linked to a broader tariff agreement still in negotiation.
Everything indicates that Samsung’s formal announcement will depend on the final closure of negotiations between Washington and Seoul. Diplomatic sources suggest that an agreement could be finalized in a matter of days.
Trump Capitalizes on Investments as a Success of His Trade Policy
Former President Trump has not hesitated to attribute this wave of investments to the impact of his tariff strategy. During his previous term, he imposed tariffs on key products from countries like China and South Korea with the declared aim of strengthening the U.S. industry and reducing foreign dependency.
The pressure exerted on foreign companies to manufacture in the U.S. seems to have borne fruit. However, experts warn that the long-term benefits of this policy will depend on factors such as regulatory stability, local talent development, and competitiveness against other countries.
Pending the official announcement, Samsung’s investment could mark a new chapter in the technological trade war between powers, with the United States seeking to consolidate its sovereignty in key sectors through industrial reshoring.
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Source: Wccftech