TSMC CEO ruled out acquiring Intel's semiconductor fabs back in October 2024

TSMC chairman and CEO Dr. C.C. Wei ruled out acquiring Intel's semiconductor facilities in the US, revealed during the company's Q3 2024 earnings call, and when asked again in January 2025, he refused to comment.

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Fast-forward a couple of months and President Trump is back in the White House, and swirling reports of President Trump not supporting US chip factories being owned by foreign entities (like TSMC) and that it is "unlikely" the Trump administration would support a foreign company operating Intel's facilities.

US Vice President JD Vance attended the recent AI Action Summit in Paris where he said that the Trump administration "will ensure that the most powerful AI systems are built in the US with American design and manufactured chips".

President Trump has new semiconductor tariffs on the way, and TSMC is quickly building new chipmaking facilities on US soil, with recent rumors that TSMC would build new CoWoS advanced packaging facilities at its Arizona fab site. In the middle of all of this is a troubled Intel, and fresh rumors that TSMC would perform a tech transfer to help out Intel Foundry... or to outright buy Intel's foundries.

• Read more: US VP JD Vance says Trump admin will ensure AI systems are designed, built, fabbed in the USA

In October 2024, Morgan Stanley analyst Charlie Chan asked TSMC boss C.C. Wei if his company had thought of acquiring a part of Intel's semiconductor fabs in the long term. Wei responded, saying: "The answer is no. Okay, no, not at all," adding that Intel was a very "good customer" for TSMC, and that it was sending "sizable business" to the company.

• Read more: Intel acquisition: mystery company wants to buy the chipmaker
• Read more: Intel CEO ran his mouth: lost a huge 40% discount from TSMC after remarks about Taiwan, China

After the Q3 2024 earnings call, Wei was asked again if anything had changed about buying Intel's fabs, where the TSMC CEO said: "They are very good customers. I like them, and they are very important to TSMC's business also".

• Read more: US gives TSMC multiple options for future in USA, tech transfer with Intel
• Read more: TSMC rumor: new advanced chip packaging plant in the USA, would avoid tariffs
• Read more: Taiwan will help companies relocate to the US, help get them set up after Trump's tariffs