According to the Taiwan Economic Daily, the move marks a key step in reducing the country’s reliance on imported silicon wafers, which are essential for manufacturing chips. Until now, US-based fabs like TSMC and Samsung have had to lean on suppliers like Shin-Etsu and Sumco, often importing wafers from Asia to feed their stateside lines.

GlobalWafers says its new Texas facility will churn out 300,000 wafers a month in its first phase, all at the standard 300mm size used for modern advanced semiconductors.

GlobalWafers spokesman Mark England said Texas was chosen for its tax perks and strong supply chain. The company is betting that local wafer production will be a major selling point for chipmakers keen to avoid delays and streamline their operations.

The move aligns neatly with Washington’s ongoing effort to frame semiconductor production as a matter of national security. With chipmaking giants already investing billions in the US, this new facility adds another critical link to the domestic supply chain.

It is another sign of the East-to-West tilt in chip production, and another win for the US in its quest to bring more of the semiconductor ecosystem home.