DigiTimes claims that the new pricing has already been sent around to its foundry customers, meaning outfits like Nvidia and the Fruity Cargo Cult Apple are in for a pricier chip run. The reason customers are being given is supply chain snarls and rising costs, particularly from the chipmaker’s increasingly expensive move to set up shop in the US.

TSMC’s grip on the market is still iron-tight, controlling more than half the global foundry business, so it’s not like anyone can just shop around for cheaper transistors. The firm’s kit is in such high demand, particularly for AI workloads, that new orders are practically off the table anyway.

The company has been ploughing shedloads of money into its Arizona fab, where it’s now reportedly spending around $300 billion to build out advanced packaging and chipmaking gear for future 2nm production. TSMC wants to provide the US with a home-grown chip supply chain, and unsurprisingly, someone’s got to foot the bill.

Meanwhile, the New Taiwan dollar has been appreciating, further nibbling at the company's earnings. So rather than absorb the hit, TSMC’s decided its top-tier customers can pony up instead. If it’s any consolation, prices for the firm’s older processes might get a small haircut.

Japan’s Rapidus is hoping to muscle in with 2nm chips of its own by 2027, but for now, TSMC is holding all the cards. With no serious rivals at the sharp end of chip production, it can pretty much name its price.