While the world has become increasingly familiar with Taiwanese semiconductor giants like TSMC and UMC, these companies rely on the support of a tightly knit, specialized local supply chain. Located in Taiwan’s silicon stronghold of Hsinchu County is a world-class leader in the island’s robust semiconductor supply chain. The company in question is not the…
A weekly snapshot of Taiwan business news stories brought to you by CommonWealth and AmCham Taiwan’s TOPICS FSC suspends shareholders’ meetings Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) announced on May 20 that the shareholders’ meetings of 1,931 public companies – including the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) – will be suspended from May 24 to June…
After a year with no typhoons, Taiwan is currently experiencing its worst drought in more than half a century. Reservoirs revealed their eerie secrets as the water level receded: bridges, schools, and even whole abandoned villages were uncovered. As of April, the worst-hit areas of Taichung and Miaoli Counties have been put on “Red Alert,”…
By Austin Babb and Jason Wu TSMC Raises CAPEX to Meet Demand The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) announced plans on April 1 to raise capital expenditures, committing an unprecedented US$100 billion over the next three years to expand production capacity in response to ongoing global shortages of chips and the strong demand for new…
An unexpected surge in demand left car manufacturers in some major markets scrambling to make up for a shortage of automotive chips, which are produced mostly in Taiwan. Now governments are exploring how to reduce dependence on the island’s chipmakers. Taiwan’s key foreign policy catchphrase “Taiwan can help” has become a lot more relevant lately,…
Taiwan’s car market experienced substantial sales growth in 2020, recording the highest number of units sold in 15 years. Yet global headwinds and Taiwan’s relative lack of an EV market could slow the momentum in 2021. By Austin Babb and Jason Wu 2020 was a traumatic year for the global automobile industry. Factory shutdowns and…
Last month, Central Bank of the Republic of China (CBC) Governor Yang Chin-long spoke to lawmakers regarding the U.S. possibly labeling Taiwan a currency manipulator, one of the criteria for which is a trade surplus with the U.S. of more than US$20 billion. Yang noted that the U.S. market has become increasingly reliant on Taiwan…
The convergence of several new technologies, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), the industrial internet of things (IIoT), autonomous vehicles, and hyperscale computing have brought about a wave of unprecedented innovation. At the same time, these technologies have also pushed electronic design toward a higher level of integration and facilitated the development of diverse vertical…
Taiwan has often found itself underestimated or overlooked by the rest of the world – sometimes mistaken for Thailand or considered largely through the prism of China’s view of the island. Lately, however, Taiwan has been coming in for unaccustomed international attention. Over the past 14 months, its government’s early action and skillful handling of…
By Austin Babb and Jason Wu COVID Success Lures Foreigners Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan continues to be an attractive location for foreign talent. Ministry of Labor statistics show an 18% increase in foreign white-collar workers in Taiwan since last year. In addition, there was an astounding 300% rise in 2020 in the number…
