Taiwan Earthquake Forces TSMC to Temporary Halt Operations
Following a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan on April 3, reports are now coming in that chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has temporarily put a stop to company operations in affected areas.
While early reports state that TSMC has evacuated employees from affected locations, it looks like key personnel are now returning on-site to assess damage. TSMC manufactures chips for several big names in the industry, including Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Apple for example.
With that in mind, the damage caused by the earthquake could also mean a significant delay in the production and manufacturing of semiconductors, as even slight tremors can cause delays in output. Several other local chip manufacturers including United Microelectronics Corp. have likewise put a hold on operations.
The earthquake is the strongest one to hit Taiwan in the last 25 years, with hundreds injured and trapped in buildings. As of writing, at least four people are reported to have died in the earthquake.
Source: Bloomberg