U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple has agreed to partner with Intel to design and manufacture chips in the United States, according to multiple reports. Trump described the arrangement as a partnership in which Apple would work with Intel on both chip design and domestic production.
The market reaction was immediate. Intel led AI and chip stocks higher on Thursday, according to Seeking Alpha, and TradingView reported that Intel shares jumped 9% after Trump signaled the tie-up. Digital Trends framed the move as a potential "major win" for U.S. manufacturing that could reshape Intel's future as a contract chipmaker.
There is an important caveat: the deal has not been verified by either party. According to an MSN report, neither Apple nor Intel has confirmed the reported preliminary agreement. So far, the claim rests on Trump's public statements rather than an official company announcement.
The potential significance for Intel is large. The company has been trying to revive its foundry business — the part of Intel that manufactures chips for outside customers. According to Ad Hoc News, landing Apple as an anchor client would be a notable boost as Intel's 18A-P manufacturing process enters "risk production," an early stage of ramping up a new chipmaking technology.
Apple currently relies heavily on outside foundries to build the processors in its devices, so any shift of that work toward Intel's U.S. plants would be a meaningful change in how some of the world's most popular electronics get made.
Why it matters: if confirmed, an Apple–Intel manufacturing partnership would mark a high-profile bet on building advanced chips on American soil — but until both companies speak, it remains a claim, not a contract.