Trump Highlights TSMC Investment and Praises CEO’s Leadership
24 March 2025 · Uncategorized ·
Source: · https://technews.tw/2025/03/17/trump-c-c-wei-commend/
Recently, former US President Donald Trump discussed his tariff policies in an interview with Full Measure host Sharyl Attkisson. He asserted that the effectiveness of these tariffs prompted TSMC Chairman Wei Chia-chieh—whom he described as “one of the most respected figures in business”—to invest $20 billion.
Trump refuted a suggestion from the interviewer regarding the time it would take to see benefits from tariff policies, citing TSMC’s expansion into America as an example. He stated that this leading chip manufacturer is investing $20 billion (approximately NT$650 billion) in the United States and emphasized Wei Chia-chieh's reputation within the business world.
Trump also claimed that the U.S. no longer needs to rely on chips from Taiwan.
On March 3rd, Wei met with Trump at the White House and announced an additional $10 billion investment—on top of their existing $65 billion commitment—for three wafer fabs and two advanced packaging facilities. Previously, Trump had threatened tariffs up to 25% on semiconductors, even suggesting a potential rate as high as 100% for chips exported from Taiwan. During the interview, he attributed TSMC’s decision largely to American tariff policies, stating that otherwise “they'd have had to pay very substantial duties.”
Trump explained that tariffs incentivize foreign companies to establish factories in the U.S., leading to a significant influx of capital as these facilities require contractors and suppliers for materials like concrete and steel—resulting in visible economic benefits during construction.
He emphasized his prioritization of job creation over purely financial gains. While Trump focused on semiconductor self-sufficiency, TechSpot reported in February that building a chip factory in America takes twice as long and costs more than doing so in Taiwan. The article also highlighted the challenges TSMC faced when constructing its Arizona plant due to difficulties finding skilled laborers and cultural differences between Taiwanese management practices and American employees, which can impede efficiency and create fundamental gaps in facility construction.
( Image Source: Flickr/Gage Skidmore CC BY 2.0)
Trump refuted a suggestion from the interviewer regarding the time it would take to see benefits from tariff policies, citing TSMC’s expansion into America as an example. He stated that this leading chip manufacturer is investing $20 billion (approximately NT$650 billion) in the United States and emphasized Wei Chia-chieh's reputation within the business world.
Trump also claimed that the U.S. no longer needs to rely on chips from Taiwan.
On March 3rd, Wei met with Trump at the White House and announced an additional $10 billion investment—on top of their existing $65 billion commitment—for three wafer fabs and two advanced packaging facilities. Previously, Trump had threatened tariffs up to 25% on semiconductors, even suggesting a potential rate as high as 100% for chips exported from Taiwan. During the interview, he attributed TSMC’s decision largely to American tariff policies, stating that otherwise “they'd have had to pay very substantial duties.”
Trump explained that tariffs incentivize foreign companies to establish factories in the U.S., leading to a significant influx of capital as these facilities require contractors and suppliers for materials like concrete and steel—resulting in visible economic benefits during construction.
He emphasized his prioritization of job creation over purely financial gains. While Trump focused on semiconductor self-sufficiency, TechSpot reported in February that building a chip factory in America takes twice as long and costs more than doing so in Taiwan. The article also highlighted the challenges TSMC faced when constructing its Arizona plant due to difficulties finding skilled laborers and cultural differences between Taiwanese management practices and American employees, which can impede efficiency and create fundamental gaps in facility construction.
( Image Source: Flickr/Gage Skidmore CC BY 2.0)