According to Mark Gurman, Apple is going to source chips from a factory in the US in the next couple of years. Apple already made a decision to be buying out of a plant in Arizona, according to Tim Cook, the company's CEO. 60 percent of the world's processor is produced in Taiwan, which would make it less important for Apple to rely on there. Cook said that 60 percent coming out of anyplace is probably not a strategic position.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s Arizona plant is currently under construction. Apple's exclusive chip-making partner, TSMC, counts several other companies as customers. The Arizona plant will be able to produce 20,000 chips a month and will be able to make 5-nanometer processors.
Apple plans to use TSMC's new 3-nanometer chipmaking process, which is its most advanced yet, according to previous reports. The A17 mobile processor is currently being developed by Apple and will be mass produced, according to a report by the Financial Times. It's not clear if Apple will use the Arizona plant for older and less sophisticated chips or if TSMC will update the factory. TSMC is considering building a second plant next to its $12 billion facility in Arizona, but it hasn't made a decision yet, according to a report.
In an effort to meet the needs of customers in countries encouraging domestic Semiconductor production, TSMC has been expanding to other countries. The CHIPS and Science Act was signed by the president. The US government is offering billions of dollars in funding and incentives for firms to build chips in the country.
Cook told staff that he was sure that Apple would source from Europe as the plans became more apparent. TSMC is in talks with the German government to open facilities in the country according to a report. The EU Chips Act was introduced in April to boost Europe's competitiveness and resilience in Semiconductor Technologies and Applications.
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