Recently, TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor wafer foundry, announced a major decision that caused a sensation and concern in the industry. The semiconductor giant, based in China's Taiwan Province, officially announced the suspension of mass production at its U.S. factory and delayed it for at least a year. This decision not only means a rift in TSMC's partnership with the United States, but could also have a significant impact on the global chip supply chain.
As the world's largest semiconductor wafer foundry, TSMC has always been an important partner of American chip giants. Its high-quality manufacturing processes and reliable supply chain make it the partner of choice for many large international companies. However, TSMC has recently encountered a series of problems that led to this remarkable decision.
Problems encountered by TSMC
Since the United States invited TSMC to build factories in the United States, TSMC's cooperative relationship with the United States began to have problems. The US side requires TSMC to share sensitive information such as profits, processes, production capacity, and customers, which is unacceptable for TSMC. As a semiconductor foundry, it is very important to protect customers' sensitive information, so TSMC decided to suspend mass production at its US factory and postpone it for at least a year.
TSMC's decisions and influence
TSMC's decision could have a profound impact on its future. First of all, TSMC transferred some resources to Japan, Germany and other places to build factories, which means that TSMC will gradually reduce its dependence on the US market. Second, TSMC may lose orders and trust from some US customers, facing more sanctions and retaliation. This is undoubtedly a huge challenge for a company that is highly dependent on the international market.
However, TSMC's decision could also exacerbate the tight situation in global chip supply. Due to the high dependence of the global chip supply chain, TSMC's decision may lead to some chip shortages. This will further exacerbate tensions in the global chip market and may change the pattern of the entire chip industry chain.
Foreign media commented on Zhang Zhongmou's approach
For TSMC's decision, foreign media spoke highly of TSMC's chairman Zhang Zhongmou. Zhang Zhongmou is known as the "old fox" and is highly appreciated for his wisdom and boldness. His decision is seen as a counterattack to the United States' non-fulfillment of its commitments, and at the same time a relayout of the global chip market. Zhang Zhongmou has vision and boldness, and his every move affects the direction of the global chip market.
However, there are also people who have different views on Zhang's approach. Some people believe that TSMC is a surviving enterprise, and without the big market of China, any large international enterprise will die. They believe that Zhang Zhongmou just wants to stain both ends, and sooner or later the wall grass will be liquidated.