TSMC to help Europe break its Asia chip dependency

In contrast to Dutch manufacturing equipment maker ASML’s position at the center of the US-China trade and technology conflict, most European semiconductor makers are maintaining a low profile.

For those who have not been following the issue, Netherlands-based ASML has a monopoly on the most advanced semiconductor lithography equipment (EUV), which it is not permitted to sell to China under US export restrictions.

Europe’s largest semiconductor makers are Germany’s Infineon, Switzerland-headquartered STMicroelectronics and the Netherlands’ NXP, which rank 9th, 10th and 12th worldwide in terms of sales. In the second quarter of 2023, Infineon’s sales were 35% as large as industry leader Intel’s.