TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) announced plans on Monday (Sep. 2) to establish a service company in Kyushu, Japan, to assist supply chain localization. This initiative aims to provide one-stop services to facilitate smoother operations for Taiwanese companies abroad.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電) plans to set up three factories in Kumamoto, Japan, with one expected to start mass production in the fourth quarter of this year. TSMC also intends to begin constructing its second wafer plant in Kumamoto, Japan, by the end of this year. Kuo noted that these factories will produce advanced semiconductors after 2030.
Kuo emphasized that the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) will support TSMC's supply chain layout and discuss AI industry development in Japan. He highlights Taiwan's leading role in AI hardware development and its potential to aid other countries.
Addressing potential strategic issues if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is re-elected, Kuo stated that Taiwan doesn't steal the U.S.'s chip business and that the relationship between the Taiwanese and American chip industries is complementary.
