TSMC May Raise Capex as Intel and Samsung Benefit from Spillover Effect

Hsinchu, May 17 (CNA) - Intel and Samsung have reportedly made breakthroughs in securing wafer foundry and advanced packaging orders, chipping away at TSMC's market share. A semiconductor industry expert specializing in geopolitics suggests this is primarily a 'spillover effect' from TSMC's constrained capacity, and anticipates TSMC may raise its capital expenditure in response to expand production. Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg indicate Apple is engaging both Intel and Samsung for chip production to mitigate supply chain risks. Concurrently, Korean media reports that Samsung is in advanced talks with AMD for 2nm processor manufacturing, and SK Hynix is evaluating Intel's EMIB packaging. This industry shift is fueled by the explosive growth of generative AI, which has strained TSMC's leading-edge process and packaging capacity, as major players like NVIDIA aggressively book its production lines. An expert opines that to counter this competitive pressure and meet robust customer demand, TSMC is likely to increase its 2026 capital expenditure, potentially exceeding the high end of the previously announced $52-56 billion range.