Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said it has obtained permanent authorization from the US government, confirming that the items and services subject to US export control regulations could continue to be provided to TSMC’s Nanjing fab without the need for vendors to get individual licenses.
Issuance of the validated end-user (VEU) authorization maintains the status quo for production of semiconductors at its Nanjing fab, TSMC said in an e-mail.
In October 2022, the chipmaker secured a one-year general authorization from the US government, which allows TSMC to continue its fab’s operations in Nanjing, China, the chipmaker said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
The general authorization has been renewed and extended to until May 31 this year, it added.
TSMC operates a 12-inch fab in Nanjing utilizing 16-nanometer technology and less advanced 28-nanometer process technology.
It said it is expanding its 28-nanometer chip capacity there to address increasing demand from customers in China.
“Recently, the US Department of Commerce issued a Validated End User authorization to TSMC Nanjing Co Ltd (台積電 (南京) 有限公司),” TSMC said. “This formal VEU authorization replaces ad hoc letter authorizations the Commerce Department had issued previously since October 2022.”
To prevent China from advancing its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, the US has tightened export controls for advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs), computer commodities that contain such ICs and certain semiconductor manufacturing items. It also tightened controls on transactions involving items for supercomputer and semiconductor manufacturing end-uses.
The new controls added new license requirements for items subject to the US Export Administration Regulations that would be sold to a semiconductor fabrication facility in China, as well as on US persons’ activities supporting such facilities or semiconductor manufacturing items.
PATENTS: MediaTek Inc said it would not comment on ongoing legal cases, but does not expect the legal action by Huawei to affect its business operations Smartphone integrated chips designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) on Friday said that a lawsuit filed by Chinese smartphone brand Huawei Technologies Co (華為) over alleged patent infringements would have little impact on its operations. In an announcement posted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, MediaTek said that it would not comment on an ongoing legal case. However, the company said that Huawei’s legal action would have little impact on its operations. MediaTek’s statement came after China-based PRIP Research said on Thursday that Huawei filed a lawsuit with a Chinese district court claiming that MediaTek infringed on its patents. The infringement mentioned in the lawsuit likely involved
Taipei is today suspending work, classes and its US$2.4 trillion stock market as Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Authorities had yesterday issued a warning that the storm could affect people on land and canceled some ship crossings and domestic flights. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) expects its local chipmaking fabs to maintain normal production, the company said in an e-mailed statement. The main chipmaker for Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp said it has activated routine typhoon alert
GROWTH: TSMC increased its projected revenue growth for this year to more than 25 percent, citing stronger-than-expected demand for AI devices and smartphones The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院) yesterday raised its forecast for Taiwan’s GDP growth this year from 3.29 percent to 3.85 percent, as exports and private investment recovered faster than it predicted three months ago. The Taipei-based think tank also expects that Taiwan would see a 8.19 percent increase in exports this year, better than the 7.55 percent it projected in April, as US technology giants spent more money on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and development. “There will be more AI servers going forward, but it remains to be seen if the momentum would extend to personal computers, smartphones and
Catastrophic computer outages caused by a software update from one company have once again exposed the dangers of global technological dependence on a handful of players, experts said on Friday. A flawed update sent out by the little-known security firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc brought airlines, TV stations and myriad other aspects of daily life to a standstill. The outages affected companies or individuals that use CrowdStrike on the Microsoft Inc’s Windows platform. When they applied the update, the incompatible software crashed computers into a frozen state known as the “blue screen of death.” “Today CrowdStrike has become a household name, but not in