Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs, Kung Ming-hsin, stated that the United States is unlikely to match the production capacity of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Taiwan, despite the chipmaker's expansion in Arizona. The remarks, reported by Focus Taiwan, directly address recent claims about the scale of TSMC's American investments.
Minister's Statement on TSMC's Taiwan Dominance
Speaking before a ministry meeting, Kung noted that TSMC has already announced plans for a total of 16 fabrication plants and advanced CoWoS packaging facilities in Taiwan. He emphasized that no matter how many fabs the US builds in the future, it will not match that number. The minister's comments came in response to statements from US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Taiwan was doubling the size of chip plants under construction in Arizona and that Taiwanese chipmakers were increasing their US investments.
Trump's Claims on Chip Market Share
President Trump, in an interview with Fox Business, said that TSMC is the biggest company in the world and that they are building in Arizona and doubling the size of their facilities. He also expressed confidence that the US could have 50 per cent of the chip market by the end of his term. However, when asked whether the US expansion could weaken TSMC's role as Taiwan's 'silicon shield,' Kung stated that the announced plans demonstrate Taiwan will remain central to its manufacturing operations.
Confidence in TSMC's Leadership
Questions arose about whether Washington could pressure TSMC to invest more aggressively if expectations were not met. Kung expressed confidence in TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei, saying, 'I believe Chairman Wei is very wise and will be able to handle the matter appropriately.' Earlier in the day, before attending a meeting of the Legislature's Economics Committee, Kung noted that any plans for additional overseas fabs should be confirmed directly by the company itself, not by outside sources. 'Whether TSMC has plans for additional fabs should be based on what the company says,' Kung told reporters.
