Apple and Intel: a Possible US Chip Deal Is Already Moving the Market

US President Donald Trump said Apple had allegedly reached a deal with Intel to produce some of its processors at American facilities. The market reacted immediately: Intel shares jumped by around 10% during trading, while Apple stock also edged higher.

The companies have not issued an official confirmation yet, but rumors about talks between Apple and Intel have been circulating for months. According to preliminary reports, Intel could become a contract manufacturer for chips designed by Apple, following the model that currently makes Taiwan's TSMC the company's key production partner. In the early stages, the arrangement may involve less critical components or limited batches of processors for select Mac and iPad devices.

After moving to Apple Silicon, the company gradually dropped Intel processors from Mac computers and focused on its own Arm-based chips. These are manufactured by TSMC, and that partnership has helped Apple update its device lines faster and maintain tighter control over specifications. But this setup has a weak point: when the Taiwanese manufacturer's capacity is overloaded, there is little room to maneuver.

Demand for AI accelerators, server processors and advanced manufacturing nodes keeps rising, so Apple has a growing interest in reducing its dependence on a single supplier. A potential partnership with Intel would help broaden the supply chain, add US-based manufacturing capacity and make future chip production more resilient.

For Intel, such a contract would be a powerful signal to the market. Since Lip-Bu Tan took over, the company has been actively reshaping its contract chipmaking business, while US government support and investments in new fabs are helping it regain the confidence of major customers. If Apple really does trust Intel with even part of its orders, it will be an important test for the entire Intel Foundry strategy.