TSMC Delays Arizona Factory Opening Due to Insufficient Skilled Local Talent

[Elderberry]

Epoch Times By Bryan Jung 7/22/2023

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest chipmaker, will delay production at its new Arizona chip plant to 2025 due to a shortage of skilled labor.

The year-long delay comes as trade relations between Washington and Beijing, have deteriorated over the past several years.

TSMC Chairman Mark Liu broke the news to investors on a second-quarter earnings call on July 21.

Mr. Liu said that the company does not have enough skilled local workers to install advanced equipment at its new facility, in time for the official deadline.

TSMC first proposed plans to build the facility in Arizona in 2020, when former President Donald Trump was in office.

The Taiwanese company said last fall, that it would begin making its new 5-nanometer chips at the Arizona facility by 2024,

Mr. Liu had hoped that the first of TSMC’s two semiconductor production facilities at the Arizona plant would be operational by 2024, with the second coming online by 2026.

TSMC is the primary manufacturer of chips for Apple’s iPhones and its CEO Tim Cook has plans to buy computer chips from the plant.

Apple’s next processor for the iPhone is allegedly based on the company’s 3-nanometer process technology.

The American phone maker typically releases its latest iPhone in September and is likely ordering chips from TSMC in the third quarter.

More: https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/tsmc-delays-arizona-factory-opening-due-to-insufficient-skilled-local-talent-5415075

[Cyber Liberty]

Don't look at me, I left Phoenix.  The Big Bird is burnt out.

[libertybele]

Lack of skilled labor seems to be the flavor of the day; that seems to be an issue for other companies as well.

[sneakypete]

The year-long delay comes as trade relations between Washington and Beijing, have deteriorated over the past several years.

@Elderberry

WTH does Beijing have to say and do about  what the US and Taiwan do?

[PeteS in CA]

Lack of skilled labor seems to be the flavor of the day; that seems to be an issue for other companies as well.

Decades of dumbing down education, career-free ______ Studies degrees, dismissing tradespeople as ignoramuses, and denigrating engineering grads as nerds are having predictable consequences.

[PeteS in CA]

@Elderberry

WTH does Beijing have to say and do about  what the US and Taiwan do?

Shifting IC production out of China means building capacity elsewhere. In this case, it is a Taiwanese company that is shifting production from China and to the US. The shift requires skilled people to build and equip the new facility and skilled people to operate it.

[Fishrrman]

TSMC -- isn't that a Taiwan-owned company?

They ought to bring in employees from their factories in Taiwan to get the USA plant up-and-running. Might be a good time for a lot of folks who have the ability to do so, to get outta Taiwan while the gettin's good...

[Bigun]

Decades of dumbing down education, career-free ______ Studies degrees, dismissing tradespeople as ignoramuses, and denigrating engineering grads as nerds are having predictable consequences.

Excellent observation! I agree 100%.

[sneakypete]

Shifting IC production out of China means building capacity elsewhere. In this case, it is a Taiwanese company that is shifting production from China and to the US. The shift requires skilled people to build and equip the new facility and skilled people to operate it.

@PeteS in CA

Seriously?

When did Taiwan and China stop being bitter enemies?

BTW,I am NOT doubting your statement,I am asking  a question.

[sneakypete]

TSMC -- isn't that a Taiwan-owned company?

They ought to bring in employees from their factories in Taiwan to get the USA plant up-and-running. Might be a good time for a lot of folks who have the ability to do so, to get outta Taiwan while the gettin's good...

@Fishrrman

I am in total agreement with the first sentence,not so  much  with  the second one. Let the Tai's remain in Thailand. Thailand needs all the  skilled help it can get to survive.

Yeah,I can go along with shipping technicians and engineers here to set things up and get production rolling,but  after that they need  to go back home.

[PeteS in CA]

@PeteS in CA

Seriously?

When did Taiwan and China stop being bitter enemies?

BTW,I am NOT doubting your statement,I am asking  a question.

I'm too low down any leadership feeding chain to be in on the workings of such deals, but quite a few Taiwanese companies have manufacturing done in China. In my line of specialty, Delta Electronics, Acbel Polytech, and Lite On do high-volume, low-cost, production of computer power supplies in China.

[sneakypete]

I'm too low down any leadership feeding chain to be in on the workings of such deals, but quite a few Taiwanese companies have manufacturing done in China. In my line of specialty, Delta Electronics, Acbel Polytech, and Lite On do high-volume, low-cost, production of computer power supplies in China.

@PeteS in CA

That may be wonderful for the stockholders in America,but NOT so  wonderful for the working classes OR our tax base.

America has GOT to start adding some sort of excise tax on goods produced under contract to  American manufactures  in foreign manufacturing plants.

If we don't,we will become bankrupt.

[Free Vulcan]

I don't care how Taiwan gets it done here, it just needs to get done here NOW.

If China manages to acquire their chip making capacity, they own us. We will be their vassal state. S. Korea, Japan, US, and everyone else who makes chips won't be able to supply the demand.

It's scary that in just 25 years we've went from mostly solid state to IC controlled everything. An inability to get needed chips would eventually grind everything to a halt.

[libertybele]

TSMC -- isn't that a Taiwan-owned company?

They ought to bring in employees from their factories in Taiwan to get the USA plant up-and-running. Might be a good time for a lot of folks who have the ability to do so, to get outta Taiwan while the gettin's good...

Very good point @Fishrrman

[dfwgator]

Shifting IC production out of China means building capacity elsewhere. In this case, it is a Taiwanese company that is shifting production from China and to the US. The shift requires skilled people to build and equip the new facility and skilled people to operate it.

I wonder how many moles the ChiComs have embedded in that company?

[Hoodat]

Decades of dumbing down education, career-free ______ Studies degrees, dismissing tradespeople as ignoramuses, and denigrating engineering grads as nerds are having predictable consequences.

Correctamundo.

[Smokin Joe]

Lack of skilled labor seems to be the flavor of the day; that seems to be an issue for other companies as well.

Well, if they hadn't all run off to college and got their advanced degrees in social justice and gender studies, maybe they'd have marketable skills.