Well, today big news in Arizona, Apple announcing it will build chips in the US for the first time in nearly a decade, a key step in reducing its reliance obviously on Asian based manufacturing. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke today alongside President Biden at the site of a new plant being undertaken by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in right outside of Phoenix, and our Debbie Woo is there. Debbie is Bloomberg, Deputy Taipei Bureau Chief. She is live in Arizona. This
is a big step for t SMC, isn't it not, Debbie? Oh, naturally, So this is the first time that t SMC is spending US such a huge amount of money to build up advanced ship making facilities in the US. I mean previously I have already had a modest plant in the state of Washington, but their investment in Arizona is ready YUH something that Biden for the Biden character wise as
a potential agame changer for the country. UH in to help with the US efforts to bring the text supply chain home and to UH build more advanced chips in the US. It's got a huge political side to it. Of course, as you just alluded to, UH, definitely so for our present Biden, as he assigned the Chips and Science Act into a law in August, he's been trying to champion the Chiefs Act and then other bills that helps create high paying jobs in America. So that would
be important to UH. He's a re election bid for twenty four And at the same time, over the past few years, we have seen a shortage of chips that has affected the US companies and cost them hundreds of billions in cells. So it would be important for the by administration to show that it will be able to ensure that such disruptions donga happened again, and then UH it doesn't affect that UH big companies like uh carmakers
that employ is a lot of our workers. And to make sure that the American workers will have a economic safety and then to ensure that that he's UH the print bidens up reduction campaign will be a smooth It's extremely UH, I think a sophisticated manufacturing process. It's not as though you can flip a switch and begin making semiconductors. Do we know how long it will take before this
factory becomes fully operational, So you are correct. It usually takes at least a two to three years to complete the constructing of such an advanced plant, and so t s MC's first plant in Arizona will begin production next year, and then their second plant will come under UH will start construction in the coming year, and will UH start production in twenty six. So it takes it does take UH sometime for these plans to come online. Debbie, good stuff.
Thank you so much for being with us. Enjoy your time in Arizona and safe travels. Act to Taiwan A debut. Wu Is Bloomberg, Deputy Taipei Bureau Chief