Intel is currently facing what many consider the most severe crisis in its history. Fueled partly by the impact of Donald Trump’s tariff policies, the company’s stock took a significant hit—closing at $18.13 last Tuesday (8), marking a 7.3% drop, its steepest decline since July 2009. To make matters worse, Intel’s market capitalization has plunged to $79.06 billion, its lowest valuation in 16 years.
According to market analyst Joe Albano, one potential path to regaining investor trust lies in Intel’s upcoming 18A manufacturing process. This next-gen chip technology is set to make its debut with the Panther Lake processor lineup. While mass production is expected to begin by the end of 2025, these new CPUs will likely only become available to consumers in early 2026.
“If things go well for the 18th process at the end of this year, Lip-BU Tan can see the cultural problems he has outlined for ongoing operations. If 18a is not well, this is a continuous way to try to correct fundamental problems with debts that bury the company,” he told Seeking Alpha told
Other technology companies also felt the impact.
Rumors are swirling around Intel’s 18A process, suggesting that its utilization rate might be lower than expected, despite the company’s public reassurances that development is on track. Originally, mobile Panther Lake processors were slated for a late 2025 launch, but the recent delay may hint that things behind the scenes aren’t going quite as smoothly as Intel claims.
And Intel isn’t alone in feeling the sting of the global trade tensions sparked by Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Micron, the American memory giant, saw its shares drop 4.1%, marking its worst performance since 2023. AMD also took a hit, falling 6.5%, its steepest decline since February 2023.
These downturns underline a major vulnerability: the global semiconductor supply chain is heavily dependent on Asia, particularly China and Taiwan, regions now burdened with steep tariffs. In response, these countries have started to retaliate with their own trade barriers, escalating the situation further.
