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TSMC confirmed it charged more for wafers made in the United States than for comparable production in Taiwan, but it did not disclose a percentage or dollar amount. The statement came from chairman and CEO C.C. Wei on January 16, 2025, and concerns the price TSMC charges chip designers—not necessarily the price of a finished chip or consumer device.
What TSMC confirmed about U.S. wafer pricing
Asked by Arete Research analyst Brett Simpson about U.S. versus Taiwan wafer prices, TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei answered: “Do we charge a little bit higher? Yes, we did, because we have a value of geographic flexibility, right? And you guys know Made in USA is a premium product.” He added that TSMC had discussed the higher price with customers, who agreed to work with the company. The exchange was on TSMC’s Q4 2024 earnings call on January 16, 2025; the official transcript does not specify a surcharge.
How much more do U.S.-made wafers cost?
There is no confirmed figure in Wei’s answer: no percentage, dollar amount, or pricing formula. “A little bit higher” is his qualitative description, not a number from which a reader can calculate the difference. Estimates or price changes reported for other TSMC services should not be treated as the Arizona-versus-Taiwan premium.
Why does TSMC charge a premium?
Wei named two factors: geographic flexibility has value, and the U.S. cost structure is higher. Producing wafers in the United States can give customers another manufacturing location, while the costs of operating there affect what TSMC charges. The call did not quantify either factor’s contribution, identify customers accepting a specific surcharge, or establish whether the same price terms remain in effect today.
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Does the premium mean phones and computers will cost more?
Not on the evidence in the earnings-call exchange. It describes TSMC’s foundry price to chip-design customers. It does not show whether, or how much, that cost is passed through to buyers of finished chips, phones, computers, or other products. Retail prices depend on other costs and pricing decisions as well.
What U.S. production and expansion plans add to the picture
Arizona fab operating status
TSMC said in January 2025 that its first Arizona fab was in volume production and that construction of the second fab was nearly complete, with facility installation starting. In its July 17, 2025 earnings call, the company said the first fab had entered high-volume N4 production in Q4 2024 with yield comparable to its Taiwan fabs. These are production and yield statements, not a disclosure of the U.S. price premium.
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- Wafer Pattern May Vary from the Product Images. Great to be used as gift, display object, exhibition, educating demonstration, testing, decoration or your collection
- Beautiful microchip pattern structure made by the advanced copper technology
- 90~130nm minimum microchip feature Copper Characterization with TEOS or Black Diamond Low-k ILD on the single crystal silicon wafer
- The original value of un-polished wafer is above $500
- No guarantee for research and other applications
Targets and planned investment
TSMC’s Arizona overview lists a target of second-fab N3 volume production in the second half of 2027, and a target for the third fab—planned for N2 and A16—to reach volume production by the end of the decade. It also describes plans for six logic wafer fabs, two advanced packaging facilities, and an R&D center. These are future plans and targets, not completed capacity; schedules can change. In March 2025, TSMC announced an intention to add $100 billion to its previously cited $65 billion U.S. investment plan, bringing the announced planned total to $165 billion. In July 2026, the Associated Press reported another $100 billion commitment, bringing announced U.S. plans to $265 billion. Those figures describe commitments and plans, not money already spent or current chip output.
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How the 2025 premium statement differs from later price reports
A July 2026 Tom’s Hardware report citing Nikkei discussed expected TSMC price increases for 2027 across foundry services, process nodes, and capacity. That is a separate pricing issue. It does not establish the size of the location-related premium Wei described in January 2025, nor confirm that the same U.S.-versus-Taiwan terms still apply.
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