Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday expressed confidence in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) compliance with patent regulations after reports linked the company to a patent infringement lawsuit in the US.
US Representative Ryan Zinke, and US senators Tim Sheehy, Roger Marshall and Bernie Moreno urged the US International Trade Commission in a May 22 letter to ban imports of chips made by TSMC if they are found to infringe on US patents, Axios reported on Wednesday.
An administrative law judge is expected to issue a preliminary ruling this month, with the commission potentially making a final decision in October, the report said.
Photo: CNA
The ministry had contacted the company regarding the lawsuit, but TSMC declined to comment as the case is still ongoing, Kung told reporters after the first meeting of the Economic and Industrial Development Advisory Conference in Taipei.
However, the ministry remains highly confident in Taiwanese companies’ compliance with patent regulations and is “even more confident” after communicating with TSMC, he said.
Meanwhile, industry representatives including Rock Hsu (許勝雄), honorary chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese National Federation of Industries, and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉), chairman of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association also attended the conference.
Industry representatives suggested that the ministry increase its power consumption forecast and deploy more computing power to cope with rapidly-growing artificial intelligence (AI) development in Taiwan, Kung said.
They discussed how “all industries” would benefit from strong development of Taiwan’s electronics sector and how to leverage its strength to accelerate development of industries beyond semiconductors and AI, he said.
The fast growth of emerging technologies, such as defense, drones and robotics, could help drive growth for machine tools and manufacturing equipment from traditional sectors, he said.
In addition, the ministry encouraged local companies to create industrial alliances to jointly expand their business domestically or overseas through “team play,” he said.
The industries federation urged the government to reconsider tighter air pollution regulations, citing a proposal by legislators to amend the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), which manufacturers might struggle to comply with, he said.
A shortage of research and development (R&D) talent was highlighted, he said.
Industry representatives suggested that the government relax the alternative military service program to expand the R&D pool, Kung said.
Concerns were also raised about cuts to the central government’s general budget, particularly on drone spending, he said.
The conference was structured in a systematic way, with related activities to be held every three months, and progress reviews and discussions scheduled every six months, Liu said.
The Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association has proposed using its overseas industrial high-tech parks to help small and medium-sized businesses expand abroad, Liu said.
Its industrial parks in the US, Poland, France, India and Mexico have been well received, and with support from the ministry, they could help smaller companies expand overseas and capture new business opportunities, he said.
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