[News] Trump Says Samsung Plans Massive U.S. Plants Despite Taylor Project Hurdles

With Samsung withdrawing its Q2 guidance amid tariff uncertainty, focus has been on how the company plans to navigate Trump’s trade policies. According to Wccftech, citing The Korea Herald, U.S. President Donald Trump said he has learned that Samsung Electronics intends to build “massive” facilities in the U.S., which he credits to his administration’s tariffs.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is working to finalize trade agreements with countries such as India, Japan, and South Korea, with a central goal of pushing foreign companies from these nations to invest in the U.S. As trade talks with South Korea near completion, an announcement could come as early as next week, Wccftech notes.

Samsung Denies Taylor Plant Delay as Challenges Mount

As noted by Wccftech, Samsung is expanding its operations in Austin, Texas, including a major project in Taylor, with the potential to create 10,000 jobs.

While rumors have circulated about a possible delay, Samsung has denied pushing back the Taylor plant timeline to 2027, reaffirming its target to begin operations by the end of 2026, as KXAN indicates. Still, concerns are growing over the broader challenges tied to its U.S. investment. According to The Chosun Daily, the company has been hesitant to bring in essential equipment—such as EUV machines—due to the risk of steep import tariffs.

The Taylor plant is expected to produce advanced nodes such as 2nm, and according to another report from Wccftech, companies like Apple, AMD, and NVIDIA have reportedly shown interest in Samsung’s 2nm process.

Samsung Considers Production Shifts Amid Tariff Pressures

In addition, the Korea Economic Daily notes that Samsung’s smartphone manufacturing is heavily concentrated in Vietnam, which faces a 46% tariff rate, and India, with a 26% rate—both countries flagged for higher tariffs. TV production, by contrast, is primarily based in Mexico.

Citing industry analysts, the Korea Economic Daily adds that Samsung’s MX division, which operates eight global production sites, may consider shifting output to Brazil, where the current tariff rate is lower at 10%, should Vietnam face new trade barriers.

Read more

• [News] Samsung Faces High Tariff Risks as It Reportedly Hesitant to Bring in Chipmaking Tools for Taylor
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Dismisses Taylor Fab Delay Rumors, Confirms Operations Set to Begin in 2026
• [News] Samsung Drops Q2 Guidance Amid Tariff Woes, Reportedly Preps for NVIDIA’s Final HBM3E Test in June

(Photo credit: Samsung)