Ex-TSMC exec urges US-Taiwan chip cooperation amidst 100% tariff threat

With President Donald Trump suggesting a 100% tariff on Taiwan-made semiconductors, a former executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has said that Taiwan should be actively working with the US to enhance industrial cooperation.

If the tax credit goes ahead, both Taiwan and US companies will be impacted. Taiwan is said to produce around 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.

Yang Guang-lei, former director of TSMC’s R&D Division and a former senior technical advisor to Intel, told TV network CAN that, given Taiwan has an extremely high share of the US semiconductor market, any supply disruption could have an adverse effect on US companies.

“Taiwan should consider how to build on its edge in semiconductor manufacturing and combine it with US strengths in innovation and applications to address that threat,” he added.