Tokyo Electron's Taiwan unit today said in a written response that it respects the judicial process, takes the court ruling seriously and would not appeal in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) trade secrets case. Last month, a court fined the Taiwan unit of Japan's Tokyo Electron NT$150 million (US$4.74 million) in a case involving trade secrets related to TSMC's sensitive chip technology.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has approved a capital budget of US$31.28 billion for production expansion to meet long-term development needs during the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The company’s board meeting yesterday approved the capital appropriation plan for purposes such as the installation of advanced technology capacity and fab construction, the world’s largest contract chipmaker said in a statement. At an earnings conference last month, TSMC forecast that its capital expenditure for this year would be at the higher end of the US$52 billion to US$56 billion range it forecast in January in response to robust demand for 5G, AI and high-performance computing applications from clients. The board meeting also approved a plan for the company to spend up to US$20 billion to invest in its wholly owned subsidiary, TSMC Arizona Corp, which is in charge of financial investments. In addition, TSMC has secured approval from the board meeting to raise its cash dividend payout to NT$7 per share on the earnings in the first quarter of this year, up from NT$6 on the earnings in the fourth quarter of last year. The NT$7 cash dividend payout came as TSMC reported a fresh quarterly high of NT$22.08 in earnings per share in the first quarter. Analysts described the higher dividend payout as a move to boost a dividend yield to make its share more attractive at a time when TSMC shares repeatedly hit a new high driven by AI optimism. Since the beginning of last month, when tech stocks around the world started bouncing back amid concerns over military conflicts in the Middle East, TSMC shares have soared more than 28 percent. The stock closed at NT$2,255 yesterday. TSMC has scheduled an ex-dividend date for Sept. 16 and the NT$7 payout is slated for Oct. 8. For companies in Taiwan that issue cash dividends annually, the ex-dividend date
Three men were indicted yesterday for allegedly stealing more than 4.5km of cable from a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) construction site and selling it for nearly NT$5 million (US$158,239). In the indictment issued by the Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office, prosecutors said a 29-year-old subcontractor surnamed Chuang (莊) orchestrated the scheme with his two employees, surnamed Hsueh (薛) and Hung (洪). The alleged thefts took place at the construction site of TSMC's advanced packaging plant in Chiayi County. Prosecutors recommended prison sentences of 10 years for Chuang and Hsueh and nine years and six months for Hung. The scheme was uncovered on the night of March 2, prosecutors said. Hsueh drove a rented truck into the site after telling security guards he was there to move tools, and he was allowed to enter because of his familiarity with the guards, while Chuang and Hung were hiding in the truck bed. The three men used hydraulic cutters to steal about 600m of cable, but a patrolling guard noticed a large amount of cable loaded on the truck and called for backup. As Chuang tried to get away, he allegedly drove the truck toward guards who were trying to block the vehicle, forcing them to jump to the side, before the truck crashed through security-gate equipment and fled, prosecutors said. Police later tracked down the suspects, who had sold the stolen cable to a recycling facility in Pingtung County, prosecutors said. Authorities arrested the three men after reviewing surveillance footage. Chuang and Hsueh were detained at prosecutors' request, while Hung was released. According to prosecutors, the attempted heist was the last of eight cable thefts dating back to December last year that the suspects confessed to after being shown evidence of the crimes, including recycling receipts, truck-rental records and surveillance footage. However, there may have been more heists, prosecutors said, as records from
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is seeking government approval for an advanced wafer fab at the Longtan (龍潭) campus of Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區), the park's bureau said today. In a written reply, the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau said it would submit a proposal for the third phase of the Longtan Science Park (龍潭科學園區), including plans for a TSMC fab, later this month to the National Science and Technology Council for review. The contract chipmaker previously bid to build a fab using a process more advanced than its current 2-nanometer (nm) technology at the Longtan Campus, but the plan was shelved in 2023 due to opposition from residents. After giving up the Longtan plan, TSMC shifted its focus to southern Taiwan and intensified its development of high-end technologies in Tainan and Kaohsiung. A Chinese-language United Daily News report today said that many of the affected residents in Longtan have warmed to the TSMC fab, which is set to be built on up to 88 percent privately owned land. Earlier this year, Hsinchu Science Park Bureau Director-General Hu Shi-min (胡世民) told reporters that the bureau had held two public hearings — one at the end of last year and the other earlier this year — on the third phase of the Longtan Campus. The report cited sources familiar with the matter as saying TSMC is expected to develop "angstrom-class" processes, about 0.1nm, in Longtan to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence computing. TSMC could pour about NT$500 billion to NT$600 billion (US$15.82 billion to US$18.98 billion) into the "angstrom" project to help its advanced technology development take firmer root in Taiwan, they said. TSMC did not confirm whether it would build a new fab in Longtan, using the angstrom process, but said it did not rule out any possibility for new technology development. TSMC said that with Taiwan as
A former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) engineer was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for stealing the company’s proprietary data to help Tokyo Electron win more equipment orders from TSMC. The former TSMC employee, named Chen Li-ming (陳力銘), worked in marketing at Tokyo Electron Taiwan and obtained the trade secrets from former coworkers in order to win an equipment supply contract for TSMC’s advanced 2-nanometer (nm) process. Charges included contraventions of the National Security Act (國家安全法) for unlawfully obtaining trade secrets and leaking them to Tokyo Electron. Today’s ruling by the Intellectual Property and Commercial Court may be appealed. Tokyo Electron was court-ordered to pay a NT$150 million (US$4.77 million) fine, suspended for three years. The penalty included NT$100 million in compensation to TSMC and NT$50 million to the public treasury. As prosecutors found the company to bear supervisory responsibility over Chen and corporate criminal liability, they also indicted the firm on four counts under the National Security Act. As further investigation found that the company had not made every effort to prevent the breach, and its cloud storage still contained core critical technologies from TSMC, prosecutors in January filed additional indictments. Two then-engineers at TSMC, Wu Ping-chun (吳秉駿) and Ko Yi-ping (戈一平), were also sentenced to three years and two years respectively, while another TSMC employee named Chen Wei-chieh (陳韋傑) was sentenced to six years. Tokyo Electron Taiwan employee Lu Yi-yin (盧怡尹) was handed 10 months suspended for three years, and was ordered to pay NT$1 million to the public treasury. Chen Li-ming, Wu and Ko have been detained incommunicado since September last year, after the case first came to light in July. Chen Li-ming previously worked as an engineer at TSMC’s Fab 12 before joining the marketing department at Tokyo Electron, one of TSMC’s suppliers, the
Time magazine has listed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電, TSMC) chairman and CEO C.C. Wei (魏哲家) as one of the 100 most influential people in the world this year. On the list published yesterday, Wei was featured in the Pioneers category, one of six groups that include Artists, Icons, Leaders, Titans and Innovators. His entry features a profile written by Nvidia Corp founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳), who lauded Wei's leadership in "one of the world's most consequential companies." In the profile, Huang described Wei as a humble yet disciplined leader who has steered TSMC to become more than just a chipmaker. Under Wei's stewardship, the company has evolved into a foundational technology platform for global industry, Huang said. Wei is "a leader, partner, and friend I have known for over 20 years," Huang wrote. Wei recognized early on that the global computing landscape was shifting from mobile-first to artificial intelligence (AI)-first computing, he said. Wei's vision guided TSMC's transition from "only fabricating chips to also creating integrated systems of chips — assembled in complex 3D packages and soon connected with silicon photonics," Huang said. These advances “made Nvidia’s AI supercomputers possible and helped ignite today’s AI revolution,” he said. TSMC's pure foundry model, established by TSMC founder Morris Chang (張忠謀), is built on trust, excellence and partnership, and has been enhanced under Wei's leadership, Huang said. Today, TSMC's consistent commitment to customers — from the personal computer era to the Internet, mobile devices and now AI — has made the company "indispensable," he added. "C.C. Wei is truly one of the most influential people of our time," Huang said. Other global figures listed this year include US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Leo XIV.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has scheduled a board meeting in Kumamoto, Japan, on Monday, marking the first time the world's largest contract chipmaker would hold such a meeting in the country, a source close to the event said yesterday. National Development Council Minister Yeh Chun-hsien (葉俊顯), who represents the government as an institutional board director of TSMC, would travel to Kumamoto to attend the meeting, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. The board meeting was planned by the company after TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) yesterday met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the source said. In the meeting, Wei said that the company was planning to produce advanced 3-nanometer (nm) chips at its second fab in Kumamoto, to cater to growing global demand for artificial intelligence (AI). TSMC began mass production at its first plant in Kumamoto in late 2024, with backing from Japanese companies, including Sony Group Corp and Toyota Motor Corp. Its second fab, which is still under construction, was originally to focus on manufacturing 6nm to 12nm chips, which are significantly less advanced than the 3nm process. The facility is scheduled to begin production late next year. According to Japanese news reports, Takaichi called the news "thrilling" and said that her government was willing to provide financial support to see the plan through to fruition. TSMC's updated plans would bring its total investment in the second fab to US$17 billion, up from US$12.2 billion, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. Responding to TSMC's plan to produce chips using the 3nm process in Kumamoto, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday told reporters that the chipmaker had mapped out its global investments to meet the needs of its clients. In the current AI boom, TSMC's investment plans are subject to changes in the market, Kung said. Despite its overseas expansion, TSMC is unlikely to
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to mass produce advanced 3-nanometer chips in Kumamoto in southern Japan with an investment of US$17 billion, Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun reported today. Japan's government, which has subsidized Taiwan's leading chipmaker to build out capacity in Kyushu, is considering additional support for the new investment plan, the Yomiuri reported. TSMC had aimed to invest US$12.2 billion on 6-nanometer to 12-nanometer chipmaking capacity at its second fab in Kyushu, but would discuss changes to the plan with Japan's government, the Yomiuri reported. TSMC executives were to visit the Japanese prime minister's office today. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TSMC said on an earnings call last month that the construction of its second fab in Japan had started, and "the technologies and ramp schedule will be based on our customers' need and market conditions." TSMC makes its 3-nanometer chips in Taiwan, and plans to begin producing them at its second fab in Arizona in 2027. Japan is also heavily subsidizing homegrown foundry venture Rapidus Corp, which aims to produce cutting-edge chips on the northern island of Hokkaido. The government has determined that the two companies' chips would have different uses and would not be in competition, the Yomiuri reported. Securing access to chips, which are critical for electronics, automotive and defense industries, has become a priority for governments around the world.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) today greeted the government's trade negotiation team on their arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, commending them for the tariff reduction and investment agreements reached with the US. Led by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) and chief trade negotiator Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), the team hashed out a "substantive" and "meaningful" deal with Washington, which was announced in the US on Thursday last week, Cho told reporters at the airport. Cheng said the trade agreement proved that "the hard work of Taiwanese, along with Taiwan's technology and industries, had become a key force in the world," and showed that the world "needs Taiwan." The trade negotiation team returned after reaching a preliminary agreement with the US last week on the reduction of tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent, in return for Taiwan semiconductor and technology companies investing at least US$250 billion in the US. The US$250 billion figure includes a US$100 billion investment pledged by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in March last year, weeks after US President Donald Trump took office, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick clarified in an interview on Friday. That implies that TSMC's US$65 billion investment to build three advanced wafer fabs in Arizona, prior to Trump's return to office last year, was not included in the US$250 billion figure. As part of the new trade agreement, Taiwan's government has also agreed to provide up to US$250 billion in credit guarantees for financial institutions to support investments in the US market by Taiwan's semiconductor industry, as well as its information and communication technology sector. The terms of the agreement would be signed in the coming weeks as part of a formal trade pact, which would require approval by Taiwan's legislature. In Taiwan, reactions to the agreement have been mixed, with some people welcoming the US
The Taipei City Government today announced the winner of a lucky draw for a share in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), but the winner hung up the call, thinking it was a scam. Taipei residents “have great anti-fraud awareness,” Taipei Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chen Chun-an (陳俊安) said, adding that the winner would be contacted via other channels. The “shop in Taipei and win big” (來台北有購嗨) campaign has been running since Nov. 11. Taipei residents who spend NT$200 in Taipei and register their purchase are eligible for a lottery draw to win flights, TSMC stock and cash prizes, the department said. Spending at participating partner stores doubles the chance to win, it said. Cumulative registered spending has reached NT$32 billion (US$1.01 billion) to date, the department said. The next prize draw on Feb. 23 would include another TSMC share, home appliances and three round-trip flight tickets from Taipei to Phoenix, Arizona, with Starlux Airlines, it added. The final grand prize draw on March 11 is to feature NT$10 million in cash, a Tesla Model Y, a Switch 2, a Playstation 5 and another four sets of return flights to Phoenix, it said. The registration period for the lottery ends on March 8, it said. As part of the initiative, Starlux said it has sponsored 10 round-trip tickets to Phoenix, a sister city of Taipei and its fifth and newest destination in North America. Phoenix is not only a growing tech hub, but offers tourists stunning desert landscapes, it added.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego yesterday said her city would continue deepening high-tech cooperation with Taiwan, as she arrived in Taiwan for a visit. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) welcomed Gallego and her delegation to Taiwan with a banquet. Phoenix would continue to work closely with Taiwan and deepen cooperation in high-tech industries to ensure supply chain resilience, particularly following Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) announcement of a US$165 billion US investment plan, Gallego said. She said her visit highlights the close partnership between Phoenix and Taiwan, and is an important moment in the development of US-Taiwan high-tech industry cooperation. She added that she hopes that both sides would continue to promote cooperation in education and training, as well as youth exchanges, and expand collaboration in forward-looking fields such as aerospace and biopharmaceuticals. Phoenix and the state of Arizona have become important US hubs for Taiwanese companies in recent years, with bilateral cooperation continuing to expand, Lin said. Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines is to launch direct flights between Taipei and Phoenix this week, which would help promote the movement of people, goods and capital, he added. Gallego and her delegation are to visit the inaugural ceremony of the new non-stop flight route tomorrow, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles said. This week marks the third time that Gallego has led a delegation to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said. The delegation is also to meet with President William Lai (賴清德) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), visit the Tainan City Government and the Taipei City Government, and hold exchanges with representatives of Taiwan’s high-tech industries to discuss bilateral economic and trade cooperation, it said.
US President Donald Trump's administration is negotiating a deal that could commit Taiwan to fresh investment and training of US workers in semiconductor manufacturing and other advanced industries, five people familiar with the matter said. Under the arrangement, Taiwanese companies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) would send new capital and workers to expand their US operations and train US workers, the sources said. Taiwan's exports to the US are currently subject to a 20 percent tariff, and Taipei has been in talks to reduce that figure as part of an overarching deal with Washington. Semiconductors, vital for all kinds of high-tech products, are currently exempt from tariffs while the US builds domestic capacity. One of the people said the total US investment to be pledged by Taiwan would be smaller than that of its main regional economic rivals, and would include support to help Washington build science park infrastructure drawing on Taiwanese know-how. The person and others spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. South Korea and Japan have pledged a total of US$350 billion and US$550 billion in investment in the US respectively, under deals to trim US tariffs on most of their goods to 15 from 25 percent. It was unclear when the Taiwan deal would close or what specifics would make it into the final agreement, the people said. They cautioned that any deal terms could change until they were finalized in negotiations. The workforce training aspect of the deal has not previously been reported. "Until announced by President Trump, reporting about potential trade deals is speculation," White House spokesman Kush Desai said. The US trade representative's office did not respond to a request for comment. Trump has previously said some skilled foreign workers may be necessary to train Americans in state-of-the-art factories. TSMC, which declined to comment on the
About 7,000 people on Saturday evening attended a Double Ten National Day event at Arizona State University (ASU) in Phoenix. The free event offered Taiwanese delicacies, a night market with craft vendors, children's activities and live performances. Phoenix and Taipei have been sister cities for 46 years. About 30,000 Taiwanese live in the US city, which is also home to more than 40 Taiwanese companies and more than 500 Taiwanese students. The celebration was organized in partnership with Phoenix Sister Cities and Taipei Sister Cities, as well as Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien. The highlight of the event was a drone show sponsored by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), with 150 colored drones lighting up the sky to form the Taiwan flag, the Chinese characters for Taiwan, and motifs including Taipei 101 and a Formosan black bear, staged to the song Far Away (千里之外) by Jay Chou (周杰倫) featuring Fei Yu-ching (費玉清). Phoenix has hosted Double Ten National Day celebrations at ASU for the past four years. More than 1,000 TSMC employees and their families were in attendance. Gallego spoke of the strong bond between Phoenix and Taiwan, saying she hopes that through the celebration, “our friends from Taiwan will feel at home, and that those who are only just learning about Taiwan feel as moved as I do.” China Airlines and Starlux this year announced direct flights between Phoenix and Taipei, the city’s first non-stop route to Asia, she said. From bubble tea shops to soup dumplings, and from healthcare to the semiconductor industry, the relationship between the two cities boosts the local economy and makes Phoenix stronger, she added. “I proudly stand with the people of Taiwan. Tonight is about friendship, community and cultural exchange,” O’Brien said. Taiwan’s story is one of resilience and
Taiwan is considering forming a high-tech strategic partnership with the US, which wants increased Taiwanese investment, Taipei’s top tariff negotiator said yesterday, giving an update on talks with Washington. Home to the world's biggest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), Taiwan runs a large trade surplus with the US. Its exports to the US are currently subject to a 20 percent tariff, a figure Taipei is seeking to cut. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), who is leading the tariff talks with Washington, told reporters in Taipei she was hopeful both sides could reach a consensus on expanding investment in the US through a "Taiwan model." That would not involve relocating supply chains, but rather extending and expanding US production capacity, said Cheng, who returned this week from the latest round of talks. The government views the model for investing in the country as "industrial investment planning" coupled with government support measures such as export credit guarantees and joint Taiwan-US development of industrial clusters, she added. "The current negotiation focus is that the United States expects us to expand investments and engage in supply chain cooperation," she said. Neither the US Department of Commerce nor the Office of the US Trade Representative has responded to requests for comment on the talks. The US government went into shutdown yesterday. TSMC, whose business is surging on strong demand for artificial intelligence applications, is investing US$165 billion to build chip factories in Arizona, although the bulk of its production would remain in Taiwan. Cheng, who said that TSMC did not take part in the latest talks, repeated that a proposal floated in US media by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick for a 50-50 split in making chips is not something Taiwan would agree to and was not brought up. "We can clearly say that we understand that the US side's hope
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) today dismissed a local media report that claimed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) visited Taiwan late last month to deliver a message from US President Donald Trump's administration. TSMC said Huang, a Taiwan-born naturalized US citizen, came at the company's invitation to give an internal speech. Chinese-language Mirror Media had reported that Huang's trip was aimed at pressing TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) to share profits on behalf of the Trump administration. Citing industry sources, the magazine said that Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) had agreed to hand over 15 percent of revenue from artificial intelligence (AI) chip sales to China to the US government in exchange for approval to sell controlled products in China. Huang arrived in Taiwan by private jet on Aug. 22, spoke to TSMC executives at the company's research and development center in Hsinchu City, and attended a belated birthday celebration for TSMC founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). He also joined Wei and other TSMC executives for dinner before returning to the US shortly afterward, ending a whirlwind visit that lasted about 13 hours. TSMC today said that it has smooth communication channels with the US government and that the CEO of Nvidia — the world's largest company in terms of market capitalization as of last month — was invited by TSMC to give a speech. On Aug. 22, Wei was asked about reported US government plans to take an equity stake in TSMC in exchange for subsidies. "They have already announced that they will not take shares," he said. At the time, TSMC stated there had never been any discussions of equity participation and that communication with the US government has been smooth and positive.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering taking equity stakes in companies getting funds from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act but has no similar plans for bigger firms boosting US investments, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and Micron Technology Inc, a White House official told Reuters yesterday. The official confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the administration does not intend to seek equity stakes in semiconductor companies, such as Micron and TSMC, that plan to step up investment. On Tuesday, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the government was continuing to work on the possibility of taking a 10 percent stake in troubled chipmaker Intel Corp and suggested it would seek further 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. While the administration of former US president Joe Biden had been giving "money for free" to companies such as Intel and TSMC, he added, "Donald Trump turned it into saying, 'Hey, we want equity for the money.'" At a March event with Trump at the White House, TSMC, which has Nvidia Corp and Apple Inc as key clients, announced plans for the new US$100-billion US investment, in addition to US$65 billion committed for three manufacturing facilities in Arizona. Micron boosted its US investment plans in June. TSMC executives have already had discussions about returning their subsidies if the Trump administration asks to become a shareholder, the Wall Street Journal said. The White House and TSMC declined to comment. Micron did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Department of Commerce, which oversees the US$52.7-billion CHIPS and Science Act, finalized subsidies of US$6.6 billion late last year for TSMC to produce semiconductors in the US. The commerce department did not immediately
Nvidia Corp cofounder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taipei today to visit chip foundry partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), as the world's most valuable company navigates rising friction between Washington and Beijing over access to its industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) chips. "My main purpose coming here is to visit TSMC," he told reporters, adding that he would only stay a few hours and leave after dinner with TSMC leaders, according to a live feed broadcast by local media at Taipei's Songshan airport, where he landed in a private jet. TSMC confirmed Huang’s visit, saying it was an honor to host him and that he shared his business philosophy with managers at the company. US President Donald Trump earlier this month opened the door to the possibility of more advanced Nvidia chips beyond the H20 being sold in China. Reuters earlier this week reported that Nvidia was working on a new chip tentatively named the B30A based on its latest Blackwell architecture that would be more powerful than the H20 model. Asked about the B30A, Huang said Nvidia was in talks with the US over offering China a successor to its H20 chip, but that it was not the company's decision to make. "It’s up to, of course, the US government, and we are in dialogue with them, but it is too soon to know." he said. Nvidia only received permission last month to recommence sales of the H20. It was developed specifically for China after export restrictions were put in place in 2023, but the company was abruptly ordered to stop sales in April. Shortly after Washington's greenlight, Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chips with TSMC to add to its existing inventory due to strong demand from Chinese companies, Reuters reported. However, Nvidia was days later hit by allegations from China's
The interests of Taiwan and its companies are the government's top priority, a Cabinet source said today in response to reports that Washington may seek a stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) in exchange for CHIPS and Science Act funding. Reuters reported on Wednesday that US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said the US government is considering taking equity stakes in chipmakers that receive CHIPS Act subsidies. Lutnick told CNBC that the administration is in talks with Intel Corp about a 10-percent stake, and may pursue similar arrangements with other companies. According to two anonymous sources, the firms under consideration could include Micron Technology Inc, Samsung Electronics Co and TSMC, the world's largest advanced chipmaker. The Cabinet source, who requested anonymity, said the US is Taiwan's most important strategic partner but that the competitiveness of Taiwan's semiconductor and electronics sectors is predicated on government policies and cooperation with the global high-tech industry. "It did not come out of nowhere, and it will not be gone all of a sudden," the source said. Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) said on Wednesday that TSMC is a private company and that Taiwan's negotiating team has not raised the issue with him. If the US does seek to invest in TSMC, Kuo said the Department of Investment Review would review the matter, noting that an expert assessment of its potential impact would be necessary. Meanwhile, Pegatron Corp chairman Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢) cited former US president Ronald Reagan's words: "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Calling on the Trump administration to "take your hands off," Tung argued that "TSMC, Intel and Samsung will become more competitive if they can be put to the market's test [without interference]." The Wall Street Journal reported today that a US official downplayed the possible inclusion of
US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the US is to place a tariff of approximately 100 percent on imported semiconductor chips. "We'll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors. But if you're building in the United States of America, there's no charge," Trump said in the Oval Office. The announcement came just hours before Trump's country-specific tariffs were set to take effect. It also came amid mounting concern in Taiwan — a leading producer of the world's most advanced semiconductors — about the potential impact a chip tariff could have on its semiconductor industry and overall economy. Taiwan is home to the world's leading chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), and plays a vital role in the global supply of semiconductors used in everything from smartphones and cars to military equipment. In March, TSMC pledged to invest an additional US$100 billion to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US.
National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) today said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) could benefit from new US tariffs. US President Donald Trump announced 100-percent tariffs on semiconductor imports, with exemptions for companies that already have or are in the process of building production facilities in the US. TSMC is expected to be relatively unscathed as it has US factories, so key customers such as Nvidia are unlikely to face increased tariff costs for US-made chips. Nvidia also reportedly plans to invest hundreds of billions of US dollars in the US. TSMC did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and a Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment. “At the present time, we are optimistic towards them [TSMC],” Liu said today. As for Trump’s comments on Tuesday that TSMC would increase its investment to US$300 billion, Liu said that it was not discussed and that this outlook is based on the already-announced investment of US$165 billion. Other Taiwanese firms that qualify for exemptions include Sino-American Silicon Products Inc (SAS, 中美晶), through its facility in Texas, and United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電), through its collaboration with Intel. Liu made his comments at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee, where lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties questioned him about tariffs. In response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) about the new 100-percent tariffs, Liu said that the total impact is “not as big as imagined,” once TSMC and SAS are removed from the equation. TSMC has factories in the US already not subject to tariffs, which is a positive for the company, Liu added. The industry as a whole has three options for how to respond to tariffs: building factories in the US, like TSMC; acquiring manufacturing facilities through mergers and acquisitions, like SAS; and collaborating with US firms, like
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