NEW YORK, June 18, 2026, 07:02 EDT
- Intel traded higher in premarket after Trump said Apple will team up with Intel for chip design and manufacturing in the U.S.
- The report is important because it could bring Intel’s foundry arm a big external client.
- Apple and Intel still haven’t confirmed the deal. Manufacturing yield is still the real hurdle.
Intel is up sharply in U.S. premarket hours Thursday after President Donald Trump said Apple will partner with the chipmaker to design and produce chips in the U.S. Trump’s comments could give a lift to Intel’s contract manufacturing push. Dow Jones said the stock added over 7%, trading at $129.84 before the bell, which would be a record close if it holds.
Apple could give Intel’s foundry business its biggest outside win yet. The chipmaker has trailed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in advanced manufacturing, and Apple depends on TSMC for the chips in its devices.
The move lands as traders favor chip stocks. U.S. stock futures climbed early Thursday. Nasdaq 100 futures were up 1.36% at 5:01 a.m. ET, Reuters said. Intel jumped 9.3% premarket after Trump’s comment. Nvidia, Micron and Marvell also traded higher.
Trump posted on Truth Social that “Apple has agreed to work with Intel to design and build its Chips in America,” Barron’s reported. He didn’t mention terms, volumes or a timeline for any products. Barron’s
Apple and Intel haven’t confirmed the partnership yet. The announcement stops short of an official statement from either company, though the news is still moving the market.
Apple and Intel came to a preliminary chipmaking deal after over a year of negotiations, The Wall Street Journal said in May. Reuters reported then that it was still unknown which Apple products would get chips made by Intel.
Intel says its manufacturing plans are on track. The company announced June 16 that its 18A-P process—a more advanced version of its 18A technology—has started risk production. That’s early output before full manufacturing ramps up. Naga Chandrasekaran, general manager for Intel Foundry, said there’s still “more work ahead,” but Intel is seeing progress on 18A-P and in longer-term research. Newsroom
Apple’s work could lean heavily on that process. Counterpoint Research analysts said Apple trying its M7 chip on Intel’s 18A-P line would be a “turnaround moment” for Intel’s foundry push, but they cautioned that yields — the portion of good chips coming off each wafer — will show if Intel can really match TSMC’s track record. Barron’s
Apple is focused on supply-chain depth. TSMC still leads in advanced chip manufacturing, but its top-end lines are busy filling orders for AI chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD. If Intel can get its U.S. option working, Apple gains flexibility, even if that doesn’t mean swapping TSMC out any time soon.
The deal is part of Washington’s bigger semiconductor push. Intel said in August 2025 the U.S. government would put $8.9 billion into Intel common stock for a 9.9% stake, using some money from earlier CHIPS Act grants. Intel also said it was putting more than $100 billion into expanding its U.S. chipmaking capacity.
The risk is obvious. Apple and Intel haven’t put formal terms on the table, there’s no specific product yet, and having a big-name customer still doesn’t crack the toughest challenge for any foundry—making advanced chips at scale, for less, while matching TSMC’s yields.
Apple’s involvement is being seen by investors as a possible sign Intel’s turnaround is for real. But the next test won’t come from headlines in D.C. or chatter online. It’s about production, on-time shipments, and if Apple actually puts significant device volumes on the line with Intel.
