Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said the company plans to begin assembling computers with US-made chips.thereby eliminating their dependence on Chinese factories that have been causing so much trouble in recent months.
The announcement was made by Cook during a press conference with President Joe Biden, where he explained that the chips will be manufactured at a facility to be developed in Arizona by Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC.. Construction the factory complex will cost about $40 billion.
Cook said that very soon the chips that are installed in all Apple products will be able to bear the “Made in America” seal, which in the case of this company is a surprise, given that historically almost all of its microchip manufacturing and assembly operations took place on the Asian continent.. This is largely due to the company’s interest in saving operating costs.
“Today is just the beginning. Today, we combine the experience of TSMC with the unrivaled ingenuity of American workers. We invest in a stronger and brighter future, we plant our seeds in the Arizona desert. We at Apple are proud to be contributing to its growth,” said the Apple CEO.
Apple’s plans to start using chips made in the country, although expected to come true in the “short term”, will not happen immediately, because TSMC’s processor factories are not yet operational.
The chipmaker’s prediction is as follows: the first of its two factories will be launched sometime in 2024.That is a little over a year. For its part, the second plant of its industrial complex will not operate until 2026.
TSMC’s plan is to initially produce about 20,000 4nm wafers, of which Apple plans to purchase at least a third. which will keep him as one of the largest customers of this manufacturer.
All of these plans, and the significant investments that TSMC will make, are part of an initiative led by President Biden that aims to improve the position of the United States in terms of chip manufacturing vis-à-vis Asia. Thus, the country and local industry will not be affected by the conflicts that may develop on this continent, as is currently the case with Taiwan and China, which the latter claims as part of its territory.