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Japan lawmaker says semiconductor giant TSMC is considering second plant in the country
- Yoshihiro Seki of the Liberal Democratic Party says the Taiwanese company is looking into further investments in Japan
- TSMC is already building a chip plant in southern Japan, with Sony Group and auto parts maker Denso each taking a minority stake
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A senior Japanese lawmaker said on Friday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker, is considering building a second plant in Japan in addition to an US$8.6 billion dollar facility now under construction.
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Yoshihiro Seki, secretary general of a ruling party lawmakers’ group on chip industry strategy, also urged that Japan’s government, which has pledged to provide up to 476 billion yen (US$3.6 billion) in subsidies for the first TSMC plant, provide a favourable environment for investment.
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“I believe TSMC is looking into further investments in Japan. We need to create an environment that would make them think they want to do advanced projects with us,” Seki told Reuters in an interview.
TSMC said in an emailed statement that it did not rule out any possibility for Japan but there were no concrete plans at the moment.
The Taiwanese company is building a chip plant in southern Japan, with Sony Group Corp and auto parts maker Denso Corp each taking a minority stake. Production is due to start in late 2024.
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TSMC is also investing US$40 billion in a US chip-making plant in Arizona, and according to the Financial Times, the company is in advanced talks with suppliers about possibly setting up its first European plant in a move to diversify its production base and address global demand for semiconductors.
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