Quantum computing and AI development is at risk due to tariffs

“If the 2020s are the decade of intelligence, the 2030s will be the quantum decade,” said Brian Comiskey, senior director of innovation and trends at CTA, who also said that much of this development is related to specialized hardware. that has been created in recent years.

However, the recent promise of the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, to impose tariffs of 25% on products from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on those from China, has generated concern in various economic sectors, including the industry. technological.

The Asian giant is a key supplier of electronic products to the United States, so current tariff policies and trade tensions could significantly influence the volume and conditions of these imports in the near future and what industries are estimated to grow. such as quantum computing, which require very specialized infrastructure.

Quantum computing requires superconducting materials, specialized semiconductors, and qubit-building materials, many of which come from Chinese supply chains. Additionally, to operate superconducting qubits, cooling systems that can reach extremely low temperatures are needed. China is one of the leading cryogenic equipment manufacturers.

Data from Statista indicates that in 2024 there will be global sales of semiconductors of more than 600 billion US dollars, a jump from the previous year, as the industry reaps the fruits of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution that spreads all over the world. But most of the infrastructure for this type of product is centered in China, Taiwan and South Korea.