News
Though Trump has announced a 90-day pause for nations hit by the latest round of U.S. tariffs, tech giants have already been making moves in terms of the potential impact. According to Tom’s Hardware, Intel is rolling out new compliance policies for its suppliers, following the U.S. decision to impose a 25% tariff on aluminum, steel, and their derivatives.
Given Intel’s heavy use of aluminum and stainless steel, the company has rolled out strict new supplier requirements and posted the information on April 7, as highlighted in its new compliance policies.
To avoid customs issues and shipment delays due to the 25% tariff effective March 12, Intel now requires suppliers to provide detailed info on the materials used in their products. This includes the weight and value of aluminum and steel, along with specifics on the metal’s origin, as per Tom’s Hardware.
It is worth noting that these materials play a surprisingly crucial role in the semiconductor world. Tom’s Hardware suggests that while Intel is often synonymous with silicon, the company actually relies on a variety of metals.
For example, the report explains that for budget-friendly models, Intel’s integrated heat spreaders (IHS) use nickel-plated copper or aluminum, while stainless steel is used in CPU sockets, stiffening frames, and brackets for add-in boards like accelerators, graphics cards, and ethernet cards.
In addition, these materials have been widely applied in cooling, as heatsink fasteners and screws are made from stainless steel, while cooling systems rely on aluminum and copper heatsinks, the report adds. In early 2025, Intel unveiled its Laminar RH2/RM2, Team Blue’s new CPU coolers for Core Ultra 200 series.
Read more
(Photo credit: Intel)
