Apple supplier TSMC warns of slowing consumer demand and higher prices
Demand for consumer electronics is appearing to slow amid geopolitical and pandemic uncertainties, and TSMC's chairman says that rising costs of components could be passed on to consumers.
TSMC facility
Mark Liu, the chairman of key Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), made the comments at an industry event Wednesday. The slowdown in demand is emerging in areas like "smartphones, PCs, and TVs, especially in China, the biggest consumer market."
Additionally, component and materials costs are also rising sharply, bumping up production costs for manufacturers, tech companies, and chipmakers.
"Such pressure could eventually be passed on to consumers," Liu warned. "Everyone in the industry is worried about rising costs across the overall supply chain... The semiconductor industry already and directly experienced that cost increase."
Despite the slowdown in consumer demand, Liu says that TSMC still can't meet customer order demands with its current capacity. A few areas -- such as automotive market, high-performance computing, and the Internet of things -- appear to be unaffected by the slowdown.
"We will reorganize and prioritize orders for those areas that still see healthy demand," the TSMC chairman added.
Liu's comments come amid lowered forecasts for economic growth in 2022 because of macroeconomic uncertainty in several regions and the war in Ukraine. China is also seeing another resurgence in Covid-19 cases, further adding to the precarity.
Other signs that the consumer market is slowing down include a report that Apple was cutting production orders for the iPhone SE because of weaker-than-expected demand.
Back in January, TSMC said it still plans to grow by 25% or higher in U.S. dollar terms for revenue in 2022. It plans to spend a record-setting $44 billion in capital expenditure during the year.
Read on AppleInsider
TSMC facility
Mark Liu, the chairman of key Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), made the comments at an industry event Wednesday. The slowdown in demand is emerging in areas like "smartphones, PCs, and TVs, especially in China, the biggest consumer market."
Additionally, component and materials costs are also rising sharply, bumping up production costs for manufacturers, tech companies, and chipmakers.
"Such pressure could eventually be passed on to consumers," Liu warned. "Everyone in the industry is worried about rising costs across the overall supply chain... The semiconductor industry already and directly experienced that cost increase."
Despite the slowdown in consumer demand, Liu says that TSMC still can't meet customer order demands with its current capacity. A few areas -- such as automotive market, high-performance computing, and the Internet of things -- appear to be unaffected by the slowdown.
"We will reorganize and prioritize orders for those areas that still see healthy demand," the TSMC chairman added.
Liu's comments come amid lowered forecasts for economic growth in 2022 because of macroeconomic uncertainty in several regions and the war in Ukraine. China is also seeing another resurgence in Covid-19 cases, further adding to the precarity.
Other signs that the consumer market is slowing down include a report that Apple was cutting production orders for the iPhone SE because of weaker-than-expected demand.
Back in January, TSMC said it still plans to grow by 25% or higher in U.S. dollar terms for revenue in 2022. It plans to spend a record-setting $44 billion in capital expenditure during the year.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/03/04/what-apple-risks-by-stopping-all-sales-operations-in-russia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Russia is a rounding error in worldwide consumer spending.
Certainly the large metropolitan areas like Moscow and St. Petersburg, but outside those areas Russia is surprisingly unsophisticated and rather backwards.
I’ve often heard Russia described as a third world country with a big military and the bomb.
The kleptocracy of those in power have severely restricted Russia’s move into western prosperity, as do all autocracies. The only reason China has done as well as it has is due to the fact that western countries have willingly exported so much manufacturing to that country.
Russians, in stark contrast, didn't really venture too far from the mainland.
Decades later and with everything else that has happened in terms of trade (Hong Kong and geographical considerations included), China is thriving.
On paper, Russia had everything going for it to slowly become a major source of revenue for more developed nations.
All that potential has probably been set back a few decades now.
To catch up with economic growth, the only sure way is to open up the country. Russia has tried to do that in the last thirty years. But the US-British alliance has been trying to curb it. Unless Russia agrees to be under control.
Russia failed almost entirely due of its system of government, not external influences. But of course, the Russian military being a paper tiger because of the massive corruption of those that lead it, and those that produce its military equipment, might have something to do with what vise that Russia finds itself in today.
What message should China gain from all this?
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/eu-push-china-summit-not-help-russia-ukraine-war-2022-03-31/
China does not want to be part of the "rules-based order".
Certainly leads to some downsides for China.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukraine-top-agenda-china-eu-prepare-meet-summit-83803864
Did I mention that it's quite possible that China will halve its population in 40 years? That China will likely never surpass the U.S. for GDP, all because of an over-aged population, and an increasing autocratic government. A match made in heaven for Russia.
All Russia needs to do is turn off the tap for natural gas and petroleum lines to Western Europe, they can do this in a blink of an eye, and export to China with zero consequence. Russia is also the bread basket for Europe, as for technology, they can import anything from neighbouring countries to the south and east. Russian ports freeze, Ukrainian ports do not freeze, that is why they annexed Crimea which is 90 percent Russian anyway in 12 hours without a shot being fired (military genius) . Russia doesn't need Europe, Europe needs Russia. Do you think Russia needs chocolate from France? They can get it anyways. They got the ports, mission accomplished. The rest is because the puppet Government of Ukraine pissed them off. Don't poke the Bear. They've been planning this for eight years, Europe will suffer, pass the popcorn.
TSMC Arizona fab unlikely to earn without government subsidies
Credit: Semiconductor companies
It may be hard for TSMC to generate profits from its new advanced wafer fab in Arizona when the facility becomes operational, if the US government fails to carry out its commitment to relevant subsidies and support, according to industry observers.
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20220330PD212.html
The U.S. Government wanted that fab to insure that the U.S. military would have access to leading edge fabs in the event of China invading Taiwan. See how the works? Of course it will be subsidized.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/08/desperation-amid-food-shortages-in-shanghai-as-covid-lockdown-bites
Epic fuckup threatens Xi's power...
Go back and look at the China from 40 years ago. Look at the changes.
And why are you confusing Shanghai with China? Why are you confusing an exceptional and unpreventable health related situation (a pandemic) with the bigger picture?