World Semiconductor Shortage Raises Taiwan s Bargaining Power with U S chosun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chosun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(CNA photo) Shares in Taiwan plunged 1.88 percent to close below 16,000 points on Thursday following an overnight dive in the tech-heavy Nasdaq index and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index in the United States. The Taiwan Stock Exchange Weighted Index (TAIEX) fell 305.32 points, breaching the 16,000 barrier to close at 15,906.41, below the monthly moving average of 15,951. Turnover totaled NT$327.68 billion (US$11.77 billion) during the trading session. Contract chipmakers Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) led the main board, moving lower throughout the session after their American depositary receipts (ADRs) dropped 2.47 percent and 3.72 percent, respectively, in the U.S. overnight. TSMC, the most heavily weighted stock on the local market, fell 3.38 percent to close at NT$601.00, while UMC dropped 5.49 percent to end at NT$49.05.
March 6, 2021 Share
U.S. President Joe Biden’s order to secure semiconductor supply chains for high-tech hardware production offers a commercial boost to Taiwan, one of the world’s biggest providers of chips, and gives Taipei new weight in any free-trade talks, analysts say.
Biden signed an executive order Feb. 24 for the United States to start overcoming a chip shortage that has hobbled the manufacturing of vehicles, consumer electronics and medical supplies. It will trigger a review process leading to policy recommendations on how to bolster supply chains.
Taiwan comes into play as the home of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which spins out more chips than any other contract manufacturer in the world and has some of the most advanced production processes. Those advances generate semiconductors that run on relatively little power without sacrificing the speed of a device.
Mar 5, 2021
Turns out, semiconductor manufacturing doesn’t just require multi-billion dollar factories and a lot of smarts, it also takes water. Gallons and gallons of it for every single chip. Better hope there’s no drought.
Oops, too late.
Just as world leaders, and auto companies, start to panic about a shortage of components, the global center of chipmaking is facing water restrictions that could impact Taiwan’s most important export. Not only is this 500 kilometer stretch of land at the edge of the Pacific home to now-famous Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., but it also hosts factories run by Micron Technology Inc., United Microelectronics Corp., Vanguard International Semiconductor Co. and many more. They all make chips that go into everyday products like smartphones, games consoles and cars.
Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Shares in contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) suffered heavy pressure early Friday morning but came off an early low after an almost 6 percent plunge in its American depositary receipts (ADR) on U.S. markets overnight, dealers said.