Taiwan vows to raise European semiconductor supply

Taiwan’s president offered on Monday to work with the European Union to boost its supply of semiconductors in the face of a global shortage of chips, of which the island is a major producer.

“Taiwan will continue to engage with the EU and other democratic partners to establish a more resilient supply of critical goods such as semiconductors and medical supplies,” President Tsai Ing-wen said in a video message broadcast at a democracy conference in Copenhagen. 

The Taiwanese president also renewed her call to negotiate a bilateral investment agreement between the European Union and Taiwan. 

Taiwan’s high-tech chip manufacturing plants are among the largest and most advanced in the world, with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) leading the market. 

Last week, Washington announced that it was putting pressure on manufacturers to allocate part of their supply to American car manufacturers, in the face of a shortage which has affected multiple sectors and which industry sources expect to last for several more months.