Semiconductors’ geopolitical and geo-economic importance has surged. The intensifying U.S.–China confrontation and the rapid permeation of artifcial intelligence have made semiconductors even more critical, making them one of the most crucial strategic products. Realizing this, the new Trump administration aims to expedite the ongoing restructuring of the global supply chain of semiconductors. Despite the importance of chips and their unique strategic implication fowing from this, a global legal regime for semiconductors—be it trade or investment—is absent. Some chip-manufacturing countries and their companies have experimented with a loose cooperation network as an initial step. Given the increasing attention to chips and ferce competition in the chip market, an offcial regime enshrined in a legal structure is in order. A semiconductorspecifc plurilateral treaty could offer a more reliable, predictable, and sustainable legal framework for the trade and investment relating to semiconductors. As semiconductors constitute the core components of the future global economy, a stable trade and investment regime, made possible through a prospective treaty, would arguably embody a frst step toward exploring future international economic governance.
Time for a New Playbook—A New Legal Regime for Chips Supply Chain in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
13 Feb 2026