Trump revives chip theft claim, heaping pressure on Taiwan semiconductor firms

Trump’s recycled 'chip theft' rhetoric is political coercion disguised as national security concern. Technically, it will trigger tighter U.S. controls on EDA, advanced packaging, and equipment exports, forcing TSMC and peers to build costly redundant fabs in America. Compliance risk now permeates operational DNA: mandatory IP localization or data disclosure could erode Taiwan firms’ process control supremacy. Competitively, Samsung and Intel may lobby for redirected subsidies, yet lack the yield maturity to replace Taiwanese capacity; China will accelerate self-reliance in mature nodes (≥28nm). Over the next 12–24 months, 'friend-shoring' will morph into enforced 'onshoring,' degrading global supply chain efficiency and fueling end-market inflation under the guise of resilience.