Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC posts 57% surge in profits thanks to AI boom
TSMC has been caught in the crossfire of US-China tensions over trade and technology.
Taiwan computer chip maker TSMC reported on Thursday that its profit in the last quarter rose 57%, buoyed by the artificial intelligence boom.
The world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer reported a net profit of 374.7 billion new Taiwan dollars (£9.3 billion), higher than expected.
Last week, the company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, reported that its revenue for 2024 rose almost 34% to 2.9 trillion new Taiwan dollars (£72 billion). Revenue for the fourth quarter rose 38.8% to 868.46 billion new Taiwan dollars (£21.6 billion), also higher than forecasts.
TSMC has been caught in the crossfire of US-China tensions over trade and technology.
The US said this week that it would further restrict exports of chips used for AI and other advanced technology, seeking to limit China’s access.
The new rules cap the number of AI chips that can be exported to most countries, although about 20 close allies including Taiwan will have unlimited access to US AI technology.
The regulations, however, could affect demand for AI chips from chipmakers such as TSMC.
The Taiwanese chipmaker has plans to open three factories in the US and two more in Japan. Both the Japanese and US governments are offering billions in funding and subsidies to TSMC to boost domestic chip production.
Taiwan took another step in enhancing its key role in the production of advanced semiconductor chips used for artificial intelligence on Thursday with the inauguration of a new plant by Siliconware Precision Industries Co.
The opening ceremony for the Tan-Ke factory in the central city of Taichung was attended by Jensen Huang, chief executive and co-founder of California-based Nvidia Corp, a world leader in the design of AI chips, reinforcing the companies’ partnership in the production of advanced AI chips.
SPIL is a leader in semiconductor packaging and testing.
Mr Huang also was to visit TSMC.
Mr Huang’s visits reflect the critical role Taiwan plays in the global AI supply chain and underscores the growing importance of partnerships between technology leaders such as Nvidia and key Taiwanese players in the semiconductor industry.
