Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to visit the White House on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump called for his removal last week. Tan hopes to win Trump's approval by showing his commitment to the U.S. and guaranteeing the importance of keeping Intel's manufacturing capabilities as a national security issue. More importantly, with all the political and economic turmoil, the company is facing uncertainty about the future of its foundry division right now. The 18A process could get pushed into 2026, as the current yield rates make mass production unviable for the company.
Former Intel CEO and chairman Craig Barrett has laid out a blunt blueprint to rescue both Intel and, by extension, America’s ability to produce state-of-the-art chips. He has warned that without urgent funding, Intel risks ceding critical ground to overseas rivals, which is an unprecedented fate since the company is crucial to America's contemporary semiconductor ambitions. He stressed that leadership in chipmaking requires heavy investment years in advance of demand
Barrett argued that Intel remains the sole US company capable of matching Taiwan’s TSMC at the leading edge—but lacks the capital to scale and modernize its production. With government CHIPS Act funding insufficient to close the gap, he insists the only realistic source of cash is Intel’s own customers. He proposed that Intel’s eight largest customers, including Apple, Google, and nVidia, should each contribute $5 billion in return for guaranteed domestic supply and pricing leverage against Asian competitors.
Barrett said neither TSMC nor Samsung intends to bring their most advanced manufacturing to US soil, posing long-term risks for American technology companies dependent on imported chips. “The only place the cash can come from is the customers,” he wrote, adding that leadership in manufacturing requires proactive investment years ahead of market demand.
Jučer, 15:21
