TSMC said it had evacuated some fabrication plants and its safety systems were operating normally, while it confirmed details of the impact. The quake has killed four people, knocked down buildings in the eastern county of Hualien, and was felt in Shanghai as aftershocks rattled Taipei through the morning.
Serious damage to chip foundries would ripple around the world and highlight the urgency of U.S. President Joe Biden’s strategy of encouraging onshore production to reduce reliance on Taiwan’s output.
Shares of TSMC, which has a more than 60% share of global contract chipmaking and a monopoly over advanced microprocessors, were down 1.4% in early trade.
Apple supplier Foxconn’s stock fell more than 2% and shares of flat-panel maker Au Optronics dropped 1.7%. Markets more broadly also slipped as investors await an appearance from U.S Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and U.S. services and jobs figures due later in the day.
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