CNBC reports that several chip manufacturers are scheduled to attend the White House summit on global semiconductor shortage. And Apple’s long-term supply chain partner, Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company will also participate in the virtual summit on Monday, April 12. The summit is hosted by President Joe Biden’s administration to review key supply chains in the United States and the impact of the current chip shortage which has a far-reaching impact on other industries like medicine and electrical cars, not just computers, smartphones, tablets, and more.
TSMC is the only foundry to build processors on 7nm and 5nm technology. The current iPhone 12 series is powered by an A14 Bionic chip made by TSMC on an advanced 5nm process. And it is reported that the Taiwanese manufacturer will provide Apple the new 4nm chips for Macs, 3nm silicon for Apple’s products launching in 2022, supply chips for Apple’s first autonomous electric passenger vehicle. Although Apple is not directly affected by the current semiconductor shortage, it is likely to, indirectly, suffer delays due to the issue of the new MacBook and iPad launch.
TCMS will participate in the White House summit on semiconductor shortage and other supply chain concerns
The report details that the agenda of the summit is to review domestic supply chains and the country’s reliance on manufacturing hubs in other parts of the world.
The virtual summit will be hosted by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese, joined by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, according to the White House. Participants will discuss Biden’s American Jobs Plan and how to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for semiconductors, according to the White House.
U.S. officials and lawmakers have underscored the potential security implications of the country’s reliance on other countries for semiconductors. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in February that “semiconductor manufacturing is a dangerous weak spot in our economy and in our national security.” The supply chain was initially compromised early in the Covid pandemic since a large portion of the world’s chips are manufactured in Asia, where the crisis first hit.
Furthermore, the discussion will include American manufacturing in reference to the country’s national security.
As a matter of both economic and national security, the supply chain assessment outlined by Biden’s executive order from February seeks to check the “resiliency and capacity of the American manufacturing supply chains and defense industrial base to support national security [and] emergency preparedness.”
The White House has also said it seeks to review gaps in domestic manufacturing and supply chains that are dominated by or run through “nations that are or are likely to become unfriendly or unstable.”
As per the report, the companies participating in the summit are Alphabet (Google), AT&T, Cummins, Dell, Ford, General Motors, Global Foundries, HP, Intel, Medtronic, Micron, Northrop Grumman, NXP, PACCAR, Piston Group, Samsung, SkyWater Technology, Stellantis, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
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