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Taiwan’s leading chipmaker TSMC has committed $100 billion to
build three chip foundries, an R&D center and two packaging
facilities in Arizona, on top of a previous pledge to build $65
billion in three chip foundries in the state, one of which has
begun operations.
Lai and TSMC say that the latest mega-investment stemmed from
customer demand and not pressure from the administration of
President Donald Trump.
Trump previously said that Taiwan had taken away the U.S. chip
business and that he wanted it back.
At their Tuesday meeting, Lai said Taiwan and Arizona were
working to build a “non-red” supply chain that excluded
suppliers from China, which threatens military action to assert
its claim over the island.
TSMC has said the development plans in the U.S. would not affect
its work in Taiwan, and that the company currently has 10,000
employees researching and developing 1.0 nanometer chips. Taiwan
accounts for more than 90% of advanced computer chip production.
The U.S. does not recognize Taiwan as a country, but is its
strongest backer and biggest arms provider.
News about the meeting was released Wednesday by Taiwan's
official Central News Agency.
The project is expected to create 40,000 construction jobs over
the next four years and tens of thousands of tech and
manufacturing jobs, Hobbs’ office said in a news release sent
before the meeting.
“I’m thrilled by Arizona’s emergence as America’s hub for
advanced manufacturing, creating hundreds of thousands of
good-paying jobs and bringing billions of dollars of investment
into our state,” Hobbs said in the release.
CNA quoted Hobbs as saying that the TSMC project would “not only
contribute to the global advancement of artificial intelligence
and other technologies, but also strengthen bilateral ties.”
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