Taipei: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) announced that its investment plans in Arizona are proceeding as scheduled, despite rumors circulating about the company breaking ground on its third wafer fabrication plant in the U.S. this June.

According to Focus Taiwan, TSMC has reiterated that it does not comment on market speculation but assured that its Arizona investments are on track. The company is committing over US$65 billion to construct three advanced wafer fabs in the state. The first fab has already commenced production using the 4-nanometer process, while the second is slated to mass-produce using 3 nm, 2 nm, and A16 processes by 2028. The third plant is planned to produce chips using 2 nm or more advanced processes, with production expected to begin by the decade’s end, as announced last year.

A report from the Chinese-language Economic Daily News over the weekend suggested that TSMC might expedite its third fab schedule by 1 to 1.5 years, allegedly due to pressure from the Trump administration’s “Made in America” initiative. The report indicated that TSMC could break ground on the third fab in June, potentially inviting U.S. government officials to the ceremony to highlight its commitment to expanding investments in the U.S.

The report further mentioned that a trial run for the third fab could begin in early 2027, with commercial production starting in 2028. It also noted that discussions about the third fab’s schedule were not part of TSMC’s recent board meeting in Arizona on February 12, which marked the first time the company held a board meeting in the U.S.

Despite recent threats from the Trump administration to impose significant tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors, discussions about new TSMC investments did not take place during the board meeting, contrary to expectations.

Additionally, the report speculated that TSMC is considering constructing an advanced 3D Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS) IC packaging plant in the U.S. Rumors have also circulated about TSMC potentially acquiring a stake in American chipmaker Intel Corp.’s fab operations through technology transfer or financial investment. However, market analysts have cautioned that such technology transfers could risk exposing TSMC’s technological secrets.