Chip Tariff Phase 2 and the December 31 AMIC Deadline

Chip tariff Phase 2 is materializing under Section 232, structurally harder to unwind than IEEPA-based tariffs because Section 232 actions require a separate national security finding to reverse. That matters for any capital equipment decision with semiconductor content, because the relief path is longer and less predictable.

The CHIPS Act Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit has a construction-start deadline of December 31, 2026. If you are tracking an automation or technology capital project, the question of whether it can break ground before that date is a decision that needs to happen this quarter, not next year. Verify the current credit percentage against the statute before you model the project economics, and if you are tracking a pending legislative change to that number, name the specific bill before you build it into your decision.