The biggest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., is considering expanding its presence in Japan with a second plant, CEO C.C. Wei said during the company’s fourth quarter earnings conference on Thursday.
Another Japan operation would be under consideration, Wei said, as long as “demand from customers and the level of government support makes sense.” He reiterated the comments during a subsequent news conference.
The government has expressed support for a second plant, Kyodo News has reported. TSMC, in a joint venture with Sony, is currently building a ¥1.1 trillion ($8.6 billion) factory that is under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture. A second Japan plant has been rumored for months.