Trump Admin Launches National Security Probe Into Pharma, Semiconductor Imports

The probe will assess current and projected demand for semiconductors and pharmaceuticals in the country, among other factors.

Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken Feb. 25, 2022. Florence Lo /Illustration/File Photo /Reuters

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into the effects on national security of importing semiconductors and pharmaceutical products, according to Federal Register filings on Monday.

The Commerce Department, in a pair of Federal Register notices set to be published on April 16, said that the probes were initiated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act—which allows the president to impose tariffs on imports considered a threat to national security.