Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said that it had responded to a request for chip supply chain information from the US Department of Commerce.
TSMC said in a statement that it had submitted answers to a questionnaire issued by the department, which asked that it be completed and returned by yesterday to address a global chip supply shortage.
The chipmaker said that it did not disclose any confidential information about its customers.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
On Sept. 23, the US government held a meeting with TSMC, Samsung Electronics Co, Intel Corp and other companies on progress made by the industry to address issues in the semiconductor supply chain, and issued a request for information (RFI) on the subject on the same day.
The RFI asks companies in the semiconductor supply chain to “voluntarily share information about inventories, demand and delivery dynamics.”
Its aim is to “understand and quantify where bottlenecks may exist,” a statement on the department’s Web site reads.
Other firms, including Micron Technology Inc, Western Digital Corp and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電), also made submissions ahead of yesterday’s deadline, the department said.
The global chip supply shortage has affected the auto industry worldwide.
Last month, TSMC chairman Mark Liu (劉德音) said in an interview with Time magazine that chip hoarding was exacerbating the global supply shortage.
Local media yesterday reported that TSMC was among 23 semiconductor companies worldwide that had submitted their answers to the questionnaire, and that the data provided by the Taiwanese chipmaker included a forecast indicating that the company’s sales for this year are expected to reach US$56.6 billion, up 24.4 percent from a year earlier.
A similar forecast was disclosed at TSMC’s investor conference last month.
Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said that her ministry would not intervene in how Taiwanese semiconductor firms submit their questionnaires to the US government, adding that it was not appropriate for the ministry to know what information firms had submitted.
However, Wang said she had faith that Taiwanese semiconductor suppliers would protect sensitive customer data.
Tech companies in South Korea — home to Samsung and SK Hynix Inc — are preparing for a “voluntary submission” of relevant information, the South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement on Sunday, adding that the firms have been negotiating with the US on the extent of data to be submitted.
South Korean media reports have said the companies would only “partially comply” with the information request.
While the department’s request is voluntary, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told industry representatives that the White House might invoke the Defense Production Act or other tools to force their hands if they do not respond.
Washington’s request sparked controversy in Taiwan and South Korea, with some fearing that the US is demanding that companies hand over trade secrets.
There have also been concerns in China that the US could use materials provided by TSMC and others to sanction Chinese firms.
LANDMARK: Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two would deepen bilateral ties President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged continued support for Haiti, particularly in food aid and healthcare, as the Caribbean nation faces ongoing social and economic challenges. Speaking at a meeting with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Lai said Taiwan would step up bilateral cooperation to help improve Haiti’s social infrastructure. Taiwan would continue supporting Haiti through initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, food security and overall development, he said. Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two nations would continue to support each other and deepen bilateral
MONTHS OF WORK: The core mission of Taiwan’s negotiators is to safeguard the national interest, public health and food security, President William Lai said Taiwan is still hoping to reach a deal with the US in ongoing tariff talks after it was not among the first batch of 14 nations to receive tariff notification letters. The US issued its first batch of tariff notification letters on Monday, but Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday confirmed that Taiwan has yet to receive one. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), who lead the Office of Trade Negotiations, are in the US negotiating the tariff issue, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US in early April announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods, including
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
The New York Yankees are to host Taiwanese Heritage Day for the first time this year, the event’s organizer announced on Monday. The annual event, which has been held nearly every year since 2005, has often been hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field, but this year it would be hosted by the New York Yankees on Sept. 10 at Yankee Stadium, organizer ROF International Sport Marketing wrote on social media. The event, which is being co-organized by the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), is one of many cultural events hosted by the Yankees, the announcement said,
RSS