TLDR;
- TSMC expects record profits in 2025, citing soaring AI chip demand.
- CEO C.C. Wei confirmed a strong financial outlook and growing production efforts.
- Rumors of a UAE fab remain unconfirmed amid U.S. national security concerns.
- Global expansion continues with heavy investments in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the global leader in contract chip production, is predicting record-breaking profits in 2025 as a surge in artificial intelligence demand transforms the semiconductor market.
The company’s chairman and CEO, C.C. Wei, told shareholders this week that TSMC’s revenue and profits will hit “new historical highs,” driven by aggressive efforts to scale production and meet what he described as “very high” demand from AI customers.
Demand for AI chips intensifies
With industry giants like Nvidia and Apple relying on TSMC’s cutting-edge fabrication services, the Taiwan-based firm has found itself at the center of the global AI arms race. Wei emphasized the company’s ongoing efforts to increase capacity in response to AI’s accelerating footprint, assuring investors that “we are trying to increase production capacity to satisfy our customers.”
Recent monthly sales figures support that narrative, TSMC reported $11.6 billion in revenue for April alone, a 48.1 percent increase year-over-year and a 22.2 percent jump from March.
Geopolitics complicate Middle East expansion rumors
Despite persistent speculation, Wei pushed back firmly against reports that TSMC plans to build new fabrication plants in the Middle East.
“I think rumours are really flying everywhere,” he said when asked about a potential multi-billion-dollar “gigafab” in the United Arab Emirates.
Though negotiations involving U.S. officials and UAE representatives have reportedly taken place, the project faces numerous hurdles, from national security concerns to the region’s shortage of skilled engineers.
At the heart of the geopolitical standoff is the potential exposure of American chipmaking technology to adversarial powers. U.S. officials have voiced unease that building a cutting-edge fab in the Gulf could open the door to Chinese or Iranian access. Earlier demands from the Biden administration, including partial U.S. control over fab output in emergencies, were reportedly rejected by the UAE. Until these issues are resolved, the prospect of a UAE-based TSMC plant remains speculative at best.
Tariffs, subsidies, and strategic calculus
While AI demand buoys the company’s financial outlook, TSMC remains cautious about other external pressures, particularly trade policy. Wei acknowledged that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods have had “some” indirect effect, suggesting that rising costs could dent chip demand. Still, he reassured stakeholders that “our business will still be very good.”
The company’s global expansion plans also carry immense financial weight. Its Arizona complex, modeled on a six-plant infrastructure, is expected to cost as much as $165 billion, with a comparable investment needed should the UAE project eventually be greenlit.
Notably, TSMC has already secured $6.6 billion in U.S. federal subsidies for its American plants and plans to spend $42 billion globally in 2025. These figures underline the scale of its ambition, and the strategic balancing act required to remain at the forefront of global chip manufacturing while navigating increasingly fraught international politics.
That said, as nations compete for AI supremacy, TSMC’s ability to supply the silicon that powers this technological leap has never been more critical.
