TSMC Founder Meets US Vice President: "Possible to Build Factories Outside US and Japan"

Possibility of Semiconductor Cooperation in Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific Suggested
"US Very Welcomes TSMC Arizona Factory" Confidence Expressed

Morris Chang (91), founder of TSMC (center left), poses for a commemorative photo with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (center right) and others. (Image source=Reuters Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Ahead of the completion of Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturing) company, next month at its Arizona plant in the United States, the founder of TSMC met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to Taiwan media such as Liberty Times on the 20th, Morris Chang, founder of TSMC, met with Vice President Harris, who attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, the day before, and announced that the TSMC Arizona plant completion ceremony will be held on the 6th of next month.

Chang, the APEC representative for Taiwan, said in a media interview after a bilateral meeting with Vice President Harris that Harris showed particular interest in semiconductor wafers and warmly welcomed the construction of TSMC's Arizona plant.

He added that for the Arizona plant completion ceremony and the first production line equipment installation ceremony, they invited U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, business-related customers, intellectual property (IP) officials, and supply chain partners, and that he himself would attend.

Chang explained that Vice President Harris was very pleased to hear this and reaffirmed the U.S. position to support Taiwan.

Regarding the cost issues related to TSMC's U.S. plant construction, he said that the production cost in the U.S. would increase by "at least 55%" compared to Taiwan, but "the relocation of some production equipment to the U.S. cannot be ruled out."

He further explained that the production equipment moving to the U.S. would be the latest production equipment required by U.S. companies and is very important to the U.S.

When asked about countermeasures in case of conflicts of interest between U.S. and Taiwanese companies, Chang emphasized, "This is not something I can answer; the Taiwan government should respond."

Regarding semiconductor cooperation with Southeast Asia or the Asia-Pacific region, he said, "TSMC is considering many locations," and "there may be plant construction in regions other than the U.S. and Japan."

However, he refrained from revealing more details here.

Earlier, Wang Yinglang (王英?), TSMC Chief Operating Officer (Vice President), announced at the annual TSMC Technology Forum held in Taipei at the end of August that the southern Kaohsiung plant would enter mass production from 2024 along with the U.S. Arizona plant and Japan Kumamoto plant.

Additionally, Liu Peijun, a researcher at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, predicted earlier this month that TSMC would keep its most advanced core technologies such as the 1nm (nanometer, one billionth of a meter) or 1.4nm process in Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.