Commerce completed Section 232 investigation finding semiconductor imports threaten national security

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Section 232 investigation by the Secretary of Commerce was completed and produced a finding that imports threaten to impair national security.

Source summary
President Trump signed a Proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act directing Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate agreements addressing national security risks from imports of semiconductors and related equipment. He imposed a 25% tariff on certain advanced computing chips (citing examples like NVIDIA H200 and AMD MI325X), while exempting imports that support U.S. supply-chain buildout; broader tariffs and a tariff-offset program to encourage domestic manufacturing may follow. The action follows a Commerce Section 232 finding that current import levels threaten U.S. national security and aims to reduce reliance on foreign sources by incentivizing domestic production.
Latest fact check

A January 14, 2026 presidential proclamation on adjusting imports of semiconductors states that on December 22, 2025 the Secretary of Commerce transmitted his Section 232 report on semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and their derivative products. The proclamation explicitly notes that, based on this Section 232 investigation, "the Secretary found and advised" that these products "are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States," and further that "the present quantities and circumstances of imports" of these items "pose a threat to the national security and economy." Earlier Federal Register notices and legal analyses confirm the investigation was initiated under Section 232 to examine whether such imports threaten to impair national security, with a report due to the President within 270 days. Together, this shows that the Secretary completed the investigation and concluded that current imports of semiconductors and related products threaten to impair U.S. national security.

Verdict: True, because official presidential documentation based on the Secretary of Commerce’s Section 232 report clearly states that the completed investigation found present imports of semiconductors and related products threaten to impair national security.

Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 15, 2026, 05:12 AMTrue
    A January 14, 2026 presidential proclamation on adjusting imports of semiconductors states that on December 22, 2025 the Secretary of Commerce transmitted his Section 232 report on semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and their derivative products. The proclamation explicitly notes that, based on this Section 232 investigation, "the Secretary found and advised" that these products "are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States," and further that "the present quantities and circumstances of imports" of these items "pose a threat to the national security and economy." Earlier Federal Register notices and legal analyses confirm the investigation was initiated under Section 232 to examine whether such imports threaten to impair national security, with a report due to the President within 270 days. Together, this shows that the Secretary completed the investigation and concluded that current imports of semiconductors and related products threaten to impair U.S. national security. Verdict: True, because official presidential documentation based on the Secretary of Commerce’s Section 232 report clearly states that the completed investigation found present imports of semiconductors and related products threaten to impair national security.
  2. Original article · Jan 14, 2026

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