US DEMAND “EXTREMELY HIGH”
Lai mentioned on Thursday the federal government was not pressured by Washington “throughout TSMC’s US funding course of”.
Wei mentioned TSMC’s enlargement was pushed by rising demand from US purchasers and it might not have an effect on the corporate’s investments in Taiwan.
TSMC deliberate to construct 11 new manufacturing strains in Taiwan this yr to satisfy demand, Wei mentioned, including “our manufacturing capability shouldn’t be sufficient”.
“Every time TSMC builds a manufacturing line in any location outdoors Taiwan, it’s at all times pushed by buyer demand,” Wei mentioned.
“We went to Japan due to Japanese buyer demand, to Germany due to German buyer demand, and 4 years in the past to the US due to American buyer demand,” he mentioned.
“Now, we’re growing our funding as a result of the demand from US clients is extraordinarily excessive.”
“Every time TSMC makes a strategic transfer, TSMC turns into stronger and extra aggressive”, Lai mentioned.
“On the identical time, it additionally gives Taiwanese enterprises with alternatives for worldwide cooperation and contributes to Taiwan’s better energy.”
“TAIWAN’S TSMC”
Taiwan is a worldwide powerhouse in semiconductor manufacturing, with greater than half of the world’s chips and almost the entire high-end ones made there.
The focus of chip manufacturing in Taiwan has lengthy been seen as a “silicon defend” defending it from an invasion or blockade by China – and an incentive for the US to defend it.
TSMC’s new US$100 billion funding sparked considerations that Trump was attempting to take management of the corporate’s manufacturing and that its rising US footprint might weaken Washington’s willingness to guard Taiwan.
Premier Cho Jung-tai mentioned earlier on Thursday “TSMC is ‘Taiwan’s TSMC'” and the corporate’s manufacturing capability and superior expertise have been “rooted in Taiwan”.
