TSMC grapples with securing US funding while guarding trade secrets
TSMC grapples with securing US funding while guarding trade secrets
2023-03-31
TSMC says it’s still working out how to secure U.S. funding for its American operations, without compromising sensitive data. Under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, funding applicants must reveal trade secrets like unit prices and capacity. At a Friday event, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu said the U.S.’ disclosure requirements were, quote "unacceptable." He said further negotiations were needed to prevent a negative impact on Taiwan’s operations.
TSMC Chairman Mark Liu stepped down as the head of the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association, succeeded by TSMC Vice President Cliff Hou. Before passing the baton, Liu asked the government to build a chip ecosystem based in Taiwan.
Mark Liu
TSMC chairman
Under the impact of the U.S. tightening controls over semiconductor equipment and raw materials, change could be coming to our ecosystem of chip components manufactured in China. Hopefully we can bring in more advanced semiconductor equipment and high-end materials, so that we can manufacture in Taiwan.
Amid the U.S.-China semiconductor war, the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act is encouraging domestic production with subsidies. Funding applicants must not expand in China for 10 years, and they must disclose their operational data. On Friday, TSMC’s chairman said that some of Washington’s terms were unacceptable.
Voice of Mark Liu
TSMC chairman
We are still in discussions with the U.S. Some of the conditions are unacceptable. We need to negotiate based on what we find acceptable and hope that they adjust, so that we won’t be negatively affected.
The requested data includes revenue, profit, production capacity, unit prices, and price forecasts – all deemed as trade secrets. Liu said further talks with Washington were needed.
Voice of Mark Liu
TSMC chairman
We will discuss this directly with the U.S. Our success and Taiwan’s success are also the success of the United States. So we can’t allow Taiwan’s operations to be negatively affected.
In response, economics minister Wang Mei-hua said the government would do its best to facilitate communication.
美晶片法祭補助也要求機密 劉德音:與美協商
2023-03-31
美中晶片戰鬥得激烈，美國晶片法祭出補助，吸引半導體廠商前往設廠，但要求業者提供營收、產品單價等營業機密，讓許多廠商不能接受。台積電董事長劉德音表示，部分條件無法接受，還需要跟美方討論，不能讓台灣營運受到負面影響。
台積電董事長劉德音卸下台灣半導體協會理事長身分，將交棒給台積電資深副總侯永清。他在卸任前不忘向政府呼籲，在台灣建立半導體生態圈。
[[台積電董事長 劉德音]]
“美國加強對於半導體設備原物料管控影響，過去半導體零組件在中國製造的生態可能發生改變。(希望)提高先進半導體設備，和高階材料，能夠在台灣生產。”
美中晶片戰激烈，美國晶片法案，補助半導體產商在地生產，商務部要求，10年內不能在中國擴張，還須提供營運資訊，才能申請。劉德音說無法全盤接受。
[[聲源:台積電董事長 劉德音]]
“我們還在跟他(美國)討論，有一些條件是沒辦法接受的，所以我們要根據我們現在能夠接受的部分來討論，希望讓他調整到，我們至少能夠不會受到這些的負面影響。”
美方要求的營收、獲利、產能、產品單價和預測價格漲跌等資訊，都是營業機密，劉德音強調，還要跟美方協商。
[[聲源:台積電董事長 劉德音]]
“我們也直接會跟美國這邊談。我們的成功，台灣的成功，也就是美國的成功，所以不能夠讓台灣的營運受到這些負面影響。”
經濟部長王美花則回應，政府會盡可能協助業者溝通。
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