Trying to do 10nm without EUV was a forgivable error
How so? Literally no one uses EUV for 10nm and this wasn’t the problem. Isn’t SMCI even pushing DUV toproducing 5nm?
My limited understanding is that they were too ambitious with e.g. using cobalt interconnects and at the same time had the issue that they tied their chip designs to specific nodes. Meaning that when the process side slipped they couldnt just take the design and use it on a different node without a lot of effort.
Also I think they were always going to lose apple at some point. With better products they might have delayed it further. But apple fundamentally has an interest in vertical integration and control. And they were already designing processors for their phones and tablets.
I am no economy expert, so I am glad to be corrected by others. But my understanding is the following:
The fundamental idea is that specialisation is good and because of that most things should be done where it makes the most sense and is efficient. A person in silicon valley is probably better utilized working on semi conductors (or any kind of tech) instead of growing wheat.
So ultimately globalisation, trade and division of labour grow the pie for everyone.
With tariffs you are intervening into this process. Sometimes this makes sense, e.g. to counter subsidies that distort the market. Other times it is done purely to gain an advantage.
This might work in the short term. But long term others will do the same and in the end everyone will have to produce everything. And then you have to ask yourself why we e.g. started producting clothes in Asian countries like Vietnam instead of the west.
The US especially has profited massively from free trade.