TSMC is the world’s largest semiconductor maker and has factories in many parts of the world. The company is building various production facilities in many countries, including its home country, Taiwan, with billion-dollar investments. Countries like Germany and the USA offer incentives to TSMC to encourage them to set up factories there.

Local people also support these efforts for the job opportunities they bring. However, recent events show that this might not always be the case. TSMC’s factory in Arizona is facing opposition for hiring Taiwanese workers. Here are the details…

TSMC Plant Problems in the US: Why Some Don’t Want Workers from Taiwan, and Plans in Germany

TSMC Arizona plant is a semiconductor manufacturing facility under construction in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The plant is expected to cost $40 billion and will be TSMC’s first major manufacturing facility outside of Taiwan. The plant is scheduled to begin production in 2024 and will initially produce 5-nanometer chips. A second phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2026, will add a second factory to the site and produce 3-nanometer chips.

TSMC

TSMC’s decision to build a plant in Arizona is a major coup for the United States. The plant is expected to create over 12,000 jobs and will help to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign sources of semiconductors. However, the plant is taking longer to build, costing more money, and there are worries about how safe it is for workers.

TSMC wants to bring in 500 workers from Taiwan to help. They say these workers know how to set up plants like this. But this has caused more issues. Many thought that the plant would give jobs to local American workers right away. So, some people are not happy about workers coming from Taiwan.

To work in the US, these Taiwanese workers need special permission, called an EB-2 visa. This visa is for very skilled people. Some are asking if the construction work really needs such skilled people. A group of workers in Arizona has even started a petition. They don’t want these visas to be given and believe the company is not respecting American workers. A website has also popped up supporting American workers, saying TSMC broke promises. It is unclear how the debate will end.

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