US graphics chip designer Nvidia Corp is planning to relocate its Hong Kong-based logistics center to Taiwan, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said on Wednesday.
The government had been in discussions with Nvidia regarding tax incentives to facilitate the move since last year, Wang said in an interview with the Central News Agency, adding that the two sides had reached a consensus.
Wang did not provide details about the timetable for the move or the planned tax arrangements for Nvidia.
Photo: CNA
The relocation would boost the local economy, as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is a major supplier of graphics processing units (GPUs) for Nvidia and many local computer makers are the US firm’s customers, Wang said.
Nvidia’s decision showed that cross-strait tensions do not deter global tech companies from choosing Taiwan as a destination for investment, the minister said.
It is unclear whether the relocated logistics center would be involved in the distribution of components to Nvidia’s partner plants or finished products.
Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) in California, Nvidia is a designer and producer of GPUs, chips and related multimedia software.
The announcement came days after Dutch chipmaking equipment supplier ASML Holding NV said it would bolster its local operations by offering at least NT$1.6 million (US$51,568) in starting annual pay to engineers with a master’s degree at its sites in Taiwan.
The major supplier to TSMC said it is keen to offer competitive compensation comprised of salaries, bonuses and other financial incentives as it seeks to expand its talent pool in Taiwan.
Those multinational companies’ investments in Taiwan indicate the nation’s crucial role in the world’s semiconductor supply chain, Wang said.
Commenting on concerns about whether TSMC’s investment in the US to make chips on 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer technologies would lead to Taiwan losing technological competitiveness, as Japan did when local tech companies expanded abroad, Wang said that Taiwan is different from Japan.
Taiwan does not compete directly with the US, but the countries collaborate with each other, Wang said.
Taiwanese companies are good at providing chip manufacturing foundry services, while US companies are specializing in chip design, she added.
TSMC builds up US capacity to supply customers with locally manufactured chips, Wang said, adding that the Hsinchu-headquartered company seeks to diversify manufacturing sites to mitigate risks.
It is most important that TSMC is committed to investing in the most advanced chips in Taiwan, Wang said.
The chipmaker is ramping up 3-nanometer chipmaking technology at its fab in Tainan and is preparing to build a new fab in Hsinchu at which 2-nanometer technology would be used, Wang said.
The company might also build a fab in Taoyuan that would introduce its 1-nanometer technology, she said.
Taiwan remains the primary chip manufacturing site for TSMC, she added.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
REASSURANCE: The US said Taiwan’s interests would not be harmed during the talk and that it remains steadfast in its support for the nation, the foreign minister said US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would bring up Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea this week. “I will be talking about Taiwan [with Xi],” Trump told reporters before he departed for his trip to Asia, adding that he had “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” “We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we’ll have a good meeting,” Trump said. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue between the US and China.
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS