US President Donald Trump threatened new chip tariffs of approximately 100% on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) after several employees were fired for suspected attempts to obtain critical information on its cutting-edge manufacturing. However, Taiwan confirmed TSMC's exemption from the latest levies due to its investments in the US, sparking confusion and potentially harming Trump's plans for Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure. The incident has raised concerns about corporate espionage and national security, with local prosecutors making half a dozen arrests and Tokyo Electron confirming a former employee was involved. TSMC's dominance in advanced chipmaking is due to decades of investment and talent poaching, making it difficult for others to catch up.