Apple CEO Tim Cook has welcomed the expansion of TSMC’s U.S. manufacturing presence, calling it an “exciting” development as the company broke ground on its third semiconductor plant in Arizona.
Apple, already the first and largest customer of TSMC’s U.S. operations, sees the project as a key step in supporting high-skilled jobs and boosting domestic chip production.
Largest Foreign Tech Investment in U.S. History
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s third facility adds to a larger Arizona project that now represents the single largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. With an additional $100 billion investment, the new site is expected to generate over 40,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of high-tech roles over the next four years.
While TSMC limits its most advanced chipmaking to Taiwan, the Arizona fabs will handle chips up to three generations old, suitable for older Apple devices and other high-volume tech applications. Cook said the move supports “the future of American innovation” and marks a continued commitment to building a resilient, US-based semiconductor supply chain.
Other Tech Giants Join In
NVIDIA and AMD have also joined as customers. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the Arizona production would support domestic AI infrastructure, while AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su confirmed that their 5th Gen EPYC processors will begin production at the new fab later this year.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the project underscores the country’s push to reestablish itself as a manufacturing leader. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick called the facility a sign of “the return of American manufacturing,” crediting public-private collaboration under the CHIPS Act and ongoing federal support for advanced industries.
As reported by the Department of Commerce and confirmed by company leaders, the Arizona expansion reflects a wider effort to localize critical chipmaking for industries including smartphones, data centers, and artificial intelligence.
TSMC Chairman Dr. C.C. Wei emphasized that the new fab will “introduce more advanced semiconductor capacity to the United States,” further aligning the company’s U.S. investments with the needs of global tech leaders like Apple.