Trump Confirms Apple-Intel Chip Deal: Intel Surges 9%, TSMC Dependency Begins to Crack
President Donald Trump announced on June 18, 2026, via Truth Social that Apple has agreed to partner with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the US, sending Intel soaring and confirming a deal first reported by the Wall Street Journal in May as a preliminary discussion.
US President Donald Trump announced that Apple has agreed to work with Intel on semiconductor design and manufacturing in the US, highlighting efforts to expand domestic chip production.
The announcement came via a Truth Social post, sending Intel shares to their biggest single-session gain in months after years of losing ground to TSMC, Samsung, and AMD.
Apple’s exploratory talks with Samsung and Intel, reported in May as early-stage diversification discussions, and Thursday’s announcement suggest those talks have evolved into a partnership with presidential backing and significant market implications.
What the Deal Actually Involves, and What Remains Unconfirmed
The structural details remain limited but significant. Apple and Intel did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
A deal with Intel would help Apple diversify manufacturing as demand for advanced chip capacity rises.
While Apple designs all of its processors in-house, including the M-series, A-series, and chips powering the upcoming Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, production remains concentrated at TSMC, whose leading-edge capacity is heavily sought after by AI chipmakers such as Nvidia and AMD.
A foundry partnership would place Apple-designed chips on Intel 18A, the process node Intel entered risk production on this week and which CEO Lip-Bu Tan has positioned as a competitor to TSMC N2.
The Apple partnership would cap a series of domestic wins for Intel, which has already regained full control of its Irish Fab 34, which also helped in 18A node productions.
According to Trump’s statement, Nvidia has already committed first-level chip manufacturing to Intel facilities. After years of losing market leadership, Intel’s stock has rallied on renewed confidence in its foundry strategy.
Why the Memory Crisis Makes This Partnership More Urgent
The timing is notable. Yesterday, Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal that Apple price increases are now “unavoidable” as AI-driven demand for memory has pushed costs beyond what the company can absorb.
At the same time, TSMC’s most advanced nodes are under intense pressure from Nvidia, AMD, and Apple, leaving future manufacturing capacity increasingly competitive ahead of the iPhone 18 launch in September.
An Apple contract would provide Intel with stable demand from one of the world’s largest consumer electronics companies, strengthening both its reputation and foundry business.
The strategic value is clear: an Apple partnership would elevate Intel Foundry from a challenger to a manufacturing peer trusted by the world’s most scrutinized consumer hardware company.
For Apple, the benefit is manufacturing flexibility ahead of a product cycle where the iPhone 18’s 12GB of unified memory for advanced Siri AI makes chip supply more important, and more constrained, than ever.
Source: Trump says Apple to partner with Intel on US chip design, production
