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Fortune AIPublished: Apr 23, 2026, 04:00 JST

AI chip imports are adding $200 billion to the U.S. trade deficit, undermining Trump's tariff strategy

AI chip imports are adding $200 billion to the U.S. trade deficit, undermining Trump's tariff strategy

A Federal Reserve study found that artificial intelligence equipment imports have swollen the U.S. trade deficit by $200 billion, overwhelming any gains from Trump's tariff policies designed to narrow the gap. The AI race—particularly demand for GPU chips from NVIDIA and other manufacturers—is driving companies to import record quantities of specialized hardware.

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