原文标题：TSMC slows down global plans due to soft demand, but accelerates Arizona fab
plans by six months for A16 / N2 production
原文连结：https://reurl.cc/2Kd8gO
发布时间：2025-6-10
记者署名：Jon Martindale
原文内容：
Recent geopolitical developments and shifts in demand are causing TSMC to
rebalance its investment strategy. The company has responded to growing
pressure from the Trump administration to onshore its manufacturing by
accelerating the construction timelines for its upcoming U.S. fabs by as much
as six months. Conversely, in other parts of the world, a TSMC fab in Japan
is now underperforming, and a second under construction is facing delays. A
contracting German auto sector may slow further TSMC investments in Europe,
according to a report by Digitimes.
However, while U.S. investment from TSMC is certainly ramping up amidst
growing demand for chips, Taiwan remains the company’s heartland, with four
of the current nine under-construction new fabrication plants being based in
the East-Asian territory. This underlines the continued importance of U.S.
strategic initiatives in the region, considering ongoing posturing from the
ruling Chinese party about Taiwanese reunification.
More phases, faster
TSMC has been a prolific fab-plant builder and investor in its global
operations for years, consistently building multiple new chip manufacturing
facilities every year. In 2025, it listed a total of nine new facilities as
under construction (though some began in 2024 and others are actually
starting operation, rather than starting construction).
As part of this initiative, TSMC is investing a further $100 billion in
American fabrication, bringing its total investment into the U.S to a total
of $165 billion, which was announced in Early March. These will come online
over the next few years, allowing for the US-native production of more
advanced process nodes by 2030.
With wafer production prices set to increase dramatically for next-generation
process nodes, local production may help keep costs down for TSMC silicon
customers with thin margins. However, chips produced at Arizona’s Fab 21 are
still expected to command a pricing increase when compared to chips
manufactured in Taiwan, though the exact relative price increase isn’t
entirely clear.
TSMC runs into issues in Europe and Asia
TSMC’s demand-based investment strategy in the U.S. may see an inverse
reflection in other territories, as slowing economies weigh on construction
plans. In Japan, TSMC’s Kumamoto Fab 1 facility is struggling to reach
production targets since coming online, and local infrastructure and “
community impact” have allegedly delayed the construction of its Fab 2
facility. There are rumors, however, that this could be a scapegoat, with
TSMC instead concerned about the long-term profitability of such a facility.
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In Europe, a slowing auto industry and contracting semiconductor market could
mean that TSMC’s facilities there are less attractive for further
investment. The German TSMC fab plant was developed as part of a joint
venture with Bosch, Infineon, and NXP; however, each of these companies has
laid off thousands of workers or announced plans to do so in recent months.
However, that doesn’t mean TSMC is focusing its investments exclusively in
the U.S. Indeed, it’s just announced that a new chip design facility will be
developed in Munich to help its European customers improve their process
technology. However, the company also quashed rumors of a fab based in the
UAE, according to CEO C.C. Wei.
Less reliant, but no less involved
Any time TSMC makes investments outside of Taiwan, it raises the specter of
Chinese reunification. As a long-term goal of the Chinese ruling party, such
a move has the potential to paralyze global silicon and electronic trades,
which could be a reason why the U.S. remains committed to supporting TSMC’s
expansion into Western territories.
However, TSMC’s diversification and the U.S. government’s drive to be less
reliant on Taiwan begs the question of whether this weakens the country’s “
silicon shield”. While TSMC has put effort into expanding global operations,
particularly in the United States, the slow ramp-up of production (even with
the recent investments) means Taiwan will remain crucial to global silicon
supply.
Indeed, Taiwanese independence is more strategically important to the U.S.
and its allies in more ways than just silicon.
As the Indo-Pacific Studies Center said in its April 2025 report: “As the
U.S. reduces reliance on Taiwan’s semiconductors, its defence strategy
remains driven by geopolitical imperatives, Indo-Pacific stability, and
allied trust. Taiwan’s fall would shift the regional power balance and
weaken U.S. credibility with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.”
Ultimately, while TSMC’s U.S. fabs will chip away at supplyhain risk,
Taiwan remains and will remain the heart of TSMC investment and global
silicon production for the foreseeable future. But that isn’t stopping the
company from massively expanding its manufacturing facilities elsewhere in
the world, and particularly in America. That will have serious ramifications
for chip supply and pricing in the decades to come.
由于地缘政治变化与1;32芯片需求转弱，台积电正重新平衡其全球投资布局。尽管日本熊本第
一厂未达产能目标、第二厂建设延迟，德国因汽车业萎缩也使投资趋缓，但在美国的扩张
反而加速。受川普政府要求在地生产的压力影响，亚利桑那 Fab 21 的 A16/N2 制程厂预
计提前六个月完工，台积电也宣布追加 1000 亿美元投资，将对美总投入提升至 1650 亿
美元。
不过，台湾依然是台积电的核心生产基地，目前全球九座在建晶圆厂中就有四座位于台湾
。这显示，尽管美国致力降低对台依赖，但出于地缘战略与区域稳定的考量，台湾对全球
半导体供应链的重要性短期内仍无可取代。
报导最后指出，美国扩产虽可降低供应链风险，但速度仍不及预期；台湾在未来可见的时
间内，仍将是台积电的心脏与全球芯片产能的关键枢纽。
心得/评论：
台积电全球扩张踩煞车
熊本二厂卡关
德国厂也说要2027才能量产
结果美积电却能提前半年盖好？
川又赢？？