AsianFin -- The Trump administration is weighing taking equity stakes in companies receiving funding under the 2022 CHIPS Act but has no similar plans for larger firms increasing U.S. investments, such as TSMC and Micron, a White House official told Reuters.

The official confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the administration does not intend to pursue equity in semiconductor giants planning to expand domestic operations.

Earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government is still exploring a potential 10% stake in struggling chipmaker Intel and may seek stakes in other grant recipients.

“If we’re going to give you the money, we want a piece of the action for the American taxpayer,” Lutnick told CNBC.

He contrasted the approach with the Biden administration, which had largely provided funding to firms such as Intel and TSMC without seeking equity, saying, “Donald Trump turned it into saying, ‘Hey, we want equity for the money.’”