Taipei, February 25 (Reuters) - Taiwan's Economy Minister stated on Tuesday that his ministry had not yet received any information regarding an overseas investment application by Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC when asked about a potential investment in Intel in the United States.
According to U.S. media reports, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to companies like Apple and Nvidia, has been rumored to be exploring the possibility of acquiring a stake in Intel. However, neither TSMC nor Intel has officially confirmed these reports.
Any significant overseas investment by a Taiwanese company requires government approval, specifically from the economy ministry's investment review commission.
During a press briefing in Taipei, Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei refrained from commenting on market rumors, emphasizing that the ministry would only engage in discussions upon receiving an official notice from TSMC. He stated, "Because it involves foreign investment, it would go through our investment commission. So far, we have not been informed, and I am not in a position to address this matter."
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Taiwan, accusing it of luring American semiconductor business away and expressing his desire for manufacturing to return to the United States. Trump has raised the prospect of imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports and countries with significant trade imbalances with the United States. Taiwan maintains a large trade surplus with the United States.
Earlier this month, one of the economy ministry's deputy ministers, Cynthia Kiang, went to the United States for discussions. Kuo mentioned that the purpose of the trip was to gather information and engage in talks with current and former U.S. officials, but he did not provide further details.