A Japanese legislator would not confirm nor deny on Friday that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is already planning to build a third factory in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture.
The lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s legislative caucus on semiconductors, Akira Amari, spoke about the issue at a Taiwan-Japan technology forum. Regarding a possible third fab in Japan, Amari says that while TSMC’s R&D and investment in Japan are deeper than ever, it is up to TSMC to explain its own plans.
TSMC has already begun construction on its first fab in Kumamoto, and rumors of a third fab in Japan come even as plans for its second fab have not yet been ironed out. Amari has previously said that the Japanese government will be subsidizing the potential second fab’s construction costs.
The Japan fab is one of several that TSMC has agreed to build outside Taiwan. These include one under construction in the U.S. State of Arizona, and a recently announced deal to build its first European fab in Germany. TSMC accounts for about 60% of the total semiconductor market share according to TrendForce Corp.