The Taiwanese company TSMC has confirmed that it will manufacture advanced chips using its A16 node—the most cutting-edge in its production line—in U.S. territory before the end of the decade. This announcement, made by Peter Cleveland, the company’s Vice President of Global Policy, at a forum organized by the Hudson Institute in Washington, reflects the firm advancement of the U.S. industrial strategy to regain leadership in semiconductors, backed directly by the Trump administration.
This decision represents a key step in the multi-billion dollar investment agreement between TSMC and the U.S. government, valued at $165 billion, which includes the construction of several wafer fabs in Arizona. The goal: to reduce dependence on production in Asia and consolidate a domestic supply chain to supply tech giants such as Apple, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Broadcom.
A Bet on Leadership in Artificial Intelligence
TSMC’s commitment to the U.S. goes beyond simply producing chips. According to Cleveland, the company intends to become an essential pillar of the American drive toward leadership in Artificial Intelligence. “We are going to build chips in Phoenix to support America’s leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” he stated.
Currently, the first of the factories in Arizona is working on 4-nanometer (nm) nodes and is expected to advance to 3 nm by the end of this year. The second plant is already planned to produce chips with even more advanced technologies—3 nm, 2 nm—and the third, whose construction has not yet begun, will be responsible for manufacturing the A16 node, which equates to a 1.6 nm process. This production line is expected to be ready before 2030, marking an unprecedented technological milestone on American soil.
Trump, Protectionism, and the Anti-China Strategy
The technological reindustrialization of the U.S. is closely tied to Donald Trump’s mandate, who has pushed for a protectionist policy to curb Chinese hegemony. After threatening to impose global tariffs on Russian oil and reviewing the dependence on key imports, his administration has focused efforts on bringing back technological production and promoting domestic R&D.
According to analysts, for Trump it is no longer enough to assemble products in the U.S.; it is essential to develop the entire process from research to manufacturing. Thus, the agreement with TSMC not only seeks technological autonomy but also a geopolitical advantage over powers like China.
“The United States is a different market. Labor costs are high, but we are optimistic about our future collaboration with the Trump administration and Capitol Hill,” Cleveland stated. “TSMC needs government coordination to ensure our silicon is sold and distributed in accordance with U.S. law.”
An Increasingly Tense Geopolitical Landscape
The U.S. advance in semiconductor technology threatens to put China at a disadvantage, as its capacity to produce chips of up to 3 nm is still limited both in volume and cost. The key lies in Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) technology, which TSMC possesses and is not yet available to Chinese manufacturers on a large scale.
In this context, the U.S. is developing its own EUV laser to avoid dependence on European suppliers like ASML while pushing its strategy of “build, build, and build” factories and research centers. Cleveland hinted that this expansion has only just begun: “We would like to start construction on our third wafer fab in Phoenix next week.”
Europe at a Crossroads
Meanwhile, Europe watches with concern as the U.S. and China vie for technological dominance. There is increasing pressure for the Old Continent to accelerate the development of its semiconductor industry at the same pace as its armaments sector.
Trump has set the pace, and the future seems focused on a fragmentation of the global market into self-sufficient blocks. Globalism, as it used to be known, gives way to aggressive protectionism, where having control over technological production is as strategic as having energy reserves or self-defense capabilities.
Towards 2030: A16 Chips Made in America
If current plans come to fruition, in just three years, mass production of the A16 node will take place on U.S. soil, supplying the leading tech companies in the country without relying on flows from Taiwan. A move that not only strengthens American self-sufficiency but also completely changes the rules of the game in the global semiconductor industry.
TSMC is pressing the accelerator and doesn’t seem to be lifting its foot off the pedal. By 2030, the U.S. could have the world’s most advanced production in its hands, placing it in a dominant position not only in Artificial Intelligence but also in defense, infrastructure, and consumer technology.
Source: El chapuzas informático