TSMC's CEO, C.C. Wei, expressed optimism about the company's future despite the impact of U.S. tariffs. At a recent shareholders' meeting, Wei highlighted that while tariffs affect TSMC indirectly, the strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) continues to drive the chip market, with supply still lagging behind demand.
TSMC, a leading semiconductor manufacturer and supplier to tech giants like Apple and NVIDIA, faces uncertainties due to U.S. trade policies. However, Wei noted that customer behavior has not yet changed due to tariff uncertainties, and the situation might become clearer in the coming months.
Wei explained that tariffs primarily affect importers rather than exporters like TSMC, potentially leading to slight price increases and a possible demand drop. Nonetheless, the demand for AI remains robust, exceeding supply.
In April, TSMC reported strong AI application demand, maintaining a positive outlook for the year. Wei confidently assured shareholders of a "very good" outlook for the next five to ten years. Addressing customer needs, he emphasized TSMC's commitment to increasing chip supply, indicating current supply constraints.
Contrary to media reports, Wei clarified that TSMC has no plans to build a large wafer plant in the Middle East.
