Taiwan’s biggest earthquake in 25 years has disrupted production at the island’s semiconductor companies, raising the possibility of fallout for the technology industry and perhaps the global economy. The potential repercussions are significant because of the critical role Taiwan plays in the manufacture of advanced chips, the foundation of technologies from artificial intelligence (AI) and smartphones to electric vehicles.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake led to the collapse of over 25 buildings, at least seven deaths and injured more than 700 people across Taiwan, with much of the fallout still unknown. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest maker of advanced chips for customers like Apple and Nvidia, halted some chipmaking machinery and evacuated staff. Local rival United Microelectronics Corp also stopped machinery at some plants and evacuated certain facilities at its hubs in Hsinchu and Tainan.
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