TSMC discovers its chips made their way to Huawei products

23 October 2024
A third party purchased the chips and provided them to the Chinese company.

Sort by:

Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024TSMC isn't the only chip company. It's just the b... moreNvidia buys from TSMC, Intel buys from TSMC, AMD buys from TSMC... does it matter if Intel has a side hustle making some chips on their own fabs if they end up buying TSMC chips in the end? I'd think that setting up your own manufacturing would make more sense, unless...

... unless buying super overpriced chip with artificially limited supply was the whole goal from the start. Everyone wants chips, supply is rather limited so they can charge ANYTHING for their top-of-the-line "AI" chips and everyone has to pay whatever they ask for, or risk missing out.

This modern day "ai craze" reminds me of dot com bubble of 2000s. And crypto craze from, what was it, 2020-2022? And 2008 real estate craze. I wasn't born in 1929, but the stories sound familiar... I wonder where we'll end up.

    Anonymous, 25 Oct 2024If they can make evs, rockets and a space station, they hav... moreWhy are you commenting nonsense?
    Are you telling me China's govt and manufacturers are lying when they said they could not produce ballpoint pens using 100% local parts? They didn't prefer importing. They could not make it. You don't understand what goes into manufacturing your tech.

    Scroll down to my older comment for the source directly from China's govt. They kept failing at quality.

    Sure, you can make ball point pens using 100 year old tech, but the quality and smoothness are not correct and cannot be sold. So they imported the balls from overseas.
    Finally, in 2017 they manage to get the quality of the balls correct.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • XVE
      • 25 Oct 2024

      ReaLogic, 24 Oct 2024Same reason AMD quit making chips. Cheaper and cost less if... more"USA passed the CHIPS act in anticipation of China taking over TSMC. Wihtout the threat, USA will be happy to continue outsourcing cheaper labour (even if it's just slightly cheaper)."

      Not true.
      The reason on trade war / chip acts is because the US bottom line were eaten.
      The US want China as manufacturing, not as brand owner such as Xiaomi, Huawei, BYD.
      The US only want China to do OEM & ODM.
      The US was surprised that China move on from the bottom of chain to the top, and Huawei even beat Apple.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • wp2
        • 25 Oct 2024

        manufacturing is not easy as rocket science.

        ps: which includes rocket science, iyk.

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 0p}
          • 25 Oct 2024

          ReaLogic, 24 Oct 2024Did you even read the article? china could not make the bal... moreIf they can make evs, rockets and a space station, they have no problems making a ballpoint pen. Just because they prefer importing the materials required doesn't mean they can't make the materials themselves.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • sXb
            • 24 Oct 2024

            Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024It's astonishing how much propaganda is just vomitted ... moreIndeed 👍

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • 70d
              • 24 Oct 2024

              Yuri84, 24 Oct 2024The big question is: if TSMC chips are so important, why is... moreTSMC isn't the only chip company. It's just the biggest one.

                Yuri84, 24 Oct 2024The big question is: if TSMC chips are so important, why is... moreSame reason AMD quit making chips. Cheaper and cost less if a few companies own the machines to create chips than each and every company owning a few machine.
                Imagine if 100 chip companies bougth 5 machines each, 20nm for old chips, up to 4nm for newest chips. 500 machines have to be bought and their full manufacturing capacity of each machine is not reached.
                Is easier for for 5 companies in lower paying countries to own 75 machines and max ou the production on each machine. Thus lowering the cost of chips.
                USA passed the CHIPS act in anticipation of China taking over TSMC. Wihtout the threat, USA will be happy to continue outsourcing cheaper labour (even if it's just slightly cheaper).

                  Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024I can agree with you that China(PRC) and Taiwan(ROC) are hi... moreDid you even read the article? china could not make the ball in ballpopint pen.
                  It was too complex for them to get the roundness and smoothness right,
                  Why did you think the C C P were so proud of making a pen with no imported parts in 2017 and announced it? Nothing to do with steel.

                    The big question is: if TSMC chips are so important, why is TSMC the ONLY company making chips for EVERYONE? Why doesn't EU start its own TSMC? It makes the machines required to make chips. Why doesn't Nvidia, a US-based company that is worth TRILLIONS not buy ASML machines and start its own chip manufacturing in the US? Why this obsession with one company with a very specific, very complicated location? Because it's in a place where nobody can easily grab it? Why not just make TSMC plans EVERYWHERE? Then everyone will have microchips that can bring the end of the world! Yay!

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • Iby
                      • 24 Oct 2024

                      Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024let 'em rant in their own echochamber 🔥It's astonishing how much propaganda is just vomitted into the comments sections here. And it's pretty much always in support of two countries (and only very rarely for one of them). No prizes for figuring out which two.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • CbA
                        • 24 Oct 2024

                        Does tsmc bought the machine from asml?
                        If yes, then US has no right to say who tsmc can sell it's chips.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 0Cg
                          • 24 Oct 2024

                          Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024"These machines are highly depened on USA tech." ... moreNicely said, but considering they have Netherlands and with It ASML under their thumb, they don't need to.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 0Cg
                            • 24 Oct 2024

                            ReaLogic, 24 Oct 2024Why would USA invade Taiwan for their own tech? Modern ch... moreI can agree with you that China(PRC) and Taiwan(ROC) are highly dependent on ASML machines, but It's not true when you say ASML is highly dependent on US tech.
                            ASML's chairman(president?) said ASML uses very little US tech and even that was not specified what It means. Some part produced by an US machine, imported part, licensed technology, bought technology or what exactly?
                            So It's not USA's own tech like you said, only a small part at best yet they are shameless enough to order(blackmail) others to do what they say.
                            Where does TSMC have most of their factories? On an island called Taiwan, that's why I wrote that.

                            "IF China could make their own machine, they would bypass the sanction. Unfortunately they can't without stealing engineers and parts."
                            What parts did they stole exactly? If they buy something, that's not stealing.
                            Stealing engineers? They offered them better pay and other benefits so they work for them.
                            If that ex-employee took some knowhow, which he shouldn't then ok, It's economic espionage, but not stealing employees.
                            BTW, they supposedly can make their own semiconductor machines from local components, but only 28nm from what I read some time ago, can't verify If true or not.

                            "Just so you know China only mangaed to make a ball point pen without imported parts in 2017. here's the news from CCP itself:
                            https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/shanxi/2017-01/11/content_27926405.htm"
                            And this should provide what exactly? That because they imported stainless steel from Japan for ballpen points until 2017, that they can't make anything more complicated domestically?
                            You know very well that there is not a single country, which is producing everything domestically and never will be, including China.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • 0p}
                              • 24 Oct 2024

                              ReaLogic, 24 Oct 2024Why would USA invade Taiwan for their own tech? Modern ch... more"IF China could make their own machine, they would bypass the sanction."

                              They'll get their own machines eventually. The US sanctions will just speed that up.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • 0p}
                                • 24 Oct 2024

                                ReaLogic, 24 Oct 2024Why would USA invade Taiwan for their own tech? Modern ch... more"These machines are highly depened on USA tech."

                                Most likely these machines just use a small proportion of US tech otherwise the US would be making these machines themselves. Even easier to keep them out of other peoples' hands if they could make them themselves. But they can't. The machines can only be produced by ASML in the Netherlands.

                                  Anonymous, 24 Oct 2024I have to agree with you on this, his comment is really stu... moreWhy would USA invade Taiwan for their own tech?
                                  Modern chp manufacturing is made using a machine made in Netherlands (ASML). TSMC and China are highly dependent on those Netherland made machine.
                                  These machines are highly depened on USA tech. Which is why USA can meddle in its export. USA just outsources the cheap labour.
                                  https://www.newsweek.com/china-news-us-blow-chip-industry-netherlands-1950600

                                  IF China could make their own machine, they would bypass the sanction. Unfortunately they can't without stealing engineers and parts. Just so you know China only mangaed to make a ball point pen without imported parts in 2017. here's the news from CCP itself:
                                  https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/shanxi/2017-01/11/content_27926405.htm

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 0Cg
                                    • 24 Oct 2024

                                    CA Dave, 24 Oct 2024Literally one of the dumbest things anyone could possibly say.I have to agree with you on this, his comment is really stupid.
                                    If Taiwan didn't supply chips, then good old USA would invade them claiming It was for national security. At least in this case It wouldn't be a lie.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 0Cg
                                      • 24 Oct 2024

                                      CA Dave, 24 Oct 2024No, China just uses far cheaper labor and materials for the... moreNow I just noticed your nick -> CA Dave
                                      So If my guess is correct you are from Canada or California.
                                      Then I am not surprised by that comment of yours.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 0Cg
                                        • 24 Oct 2024

                                        CA Dave, 24 Oct 2024No, China just uses far cheaper labor and materials for the... more"No, China just uses far cheaper labor and materials for their own products due to a weaker currency and economy, as a result of their overpopulation and communism."
                                        He was talking about Taiwan(Republic of China) in this case, If you didn't notice.
                                        And even strong economies like Japan and Korea have much much weaker currency than China. Do they also have communism or overpopulation?
                                        And even Chinese average net pay is $955.07, so not that low.
                                        Yeah, weaker than on the west, but west was on a much higher pay level for decades.
                                        You think South Korea, Taiwan or Japan always had high salaries like now, which btw is still lower than many western countries? Of course not.
                                        They started the save way like China, low labor cost and copying western tech then started their own design and research and development.

                                        "If China made things "better", people wouldn't shell out more money for better-made stuff that didn't fall apart or become hopelessly obsolete in 12-18 months.
                                        And because China can't make things which don't fall apart Apple or Tesla are making them there and many other wester companies.
                                        Tesla cars made in China actually have less problems than from US.
                                        And EU just added additional tariffs on Chinese cars, because Europeans would buy those "falling apart" cars instead of paying more for high quality European cars.

                                        So please just continue in embarrassing yourself.

                                          1 of 4