(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering taking a controlling stake in Intel Corp.’s factories at the request of Trump administration officials, a person familiar with the matter said, as the president looks to boost American manufacturing and maintain US leadership in critical technologies.
Trump officials raised the idea of a deal between the two companies in recent meetings with the Taiwanese chipmaker, the person said, and TSMC was receptive. It’s unclear whether Intel is open to a transaction.
The talks are in very early stages, and the exact structure of a potential partnership hasn’t been established. But the intended result would have the world’s largest made-to-order chipmaker fully operating Intel’s US semiconductor factories, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the conversations are private. It also would address concerns about Intel’s deteriorating financial state, which has forced the company to slash jobs and curb its global expansion plans.
The arrangement may involve having major American chip designers take equity stakes, according to the person, along with support from the US government. That means the venture wouldn’t solely be owned by a foreign company. TSMC is the go-to chipmaker for Apple Inc., Nvidia Corp. and other companies developing semiconductors that power AI algorithms.
Still, the possible partnership could run into political hurdles, not unlike those that have hamstrung a proposed acquisition of United States Steel Corp. by Japanese maker Nippon Steel Corp.
A White House official said that the president is unlikely to support a foreign entity operating Intel’s factories.
TSMC and Santa Clara, California-based Intel declined to comment.
Intel shares pared losses on Friday after Bloomberg reported on the discussions. The stock was down 2.2% to $23.60 at the close in New York after dropping as much as 5.3% earlier in the session.
While Intel has lost a lot of ground to rivals over the last five years, it still manufactures the most widely used components in the personal computer and server industries. And it has the largest and most advanced production network owned by a US-based company. Those factories have taken on vital strategic importance as Washington works to reverse decades of semiconductor manufacturing shifting to Asia.
Under former Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger, Intel embarked on an ambitious and expensive plan to restore its chipmaking lead, and the company won $7.9 billion in US government funding to support projects in four states. It’s also secured $3 billion to produce chips for the US military, all of which will be paid out over time as Intel’s plants hit key milestones. The company has received $2.2 billion as of January.
But that effort has so far failed to attract enough outside customers to make the investments worthwhile, particularly at a new site in Ohio. Intel’s own products also are losing market share, adding to the overall squeeze on its finances — just when it needs to spend heavily. Gelsinger was forced out in December after the board lost confidence in his turnaround plans.
Though Intel has reiterated its commitment to investing in US factories — even as it pulls back from efforts abroad — Washington officials have for months been discussing contingency plans. One option favored by some in the Biden administration was a possible deal between Intel and GlobalFoundries Inc., Bloomberg has reported.
That would have married a maker of older-generation chips with Intel’s leading-edge business. But GlobalFoundries walked away from cutting-edge production years ago and doesn’t have the money for an acquisition, so those conversations didn’t progress much past a thought exercise.
Biden officials also floated the possibility of TSMC licensing its manufacturing technology for use at Intel’s facilities, according to multiple people familiar with the conversations. But TSMC wasn’t interested in an arrangement that could ultimately benefit a competitor, the people said. And Biden’s team was generally reluctant to take an active role in deal conversations, according to several people familiar with the situation.
Trump, meanwhile, is not shy about cutting deals — and TSMC, which just held its board meeting in the US for the first time, is eager to maintain good relations with the new president.
Trump has repeatedly accused Taiwan of “stealing” the US chip industry and threatened tariffs on foreign-produced semiconductors. He’s expressed a preference for using those kinds of levies to boost US chipmaking instead of government subsidies — the approach adopted by the US Chips and Science Act. That legislation, passed in 2022, led to TSMC winning $6.6 billion in grants to support three plants in Phoenix.
Related: Lutnick Pledges Chips Act Review, Demurs on Honoring Contracts
But it was also Trump’s first administration that set out to lure TSMC to the US, and top Trump officials have consistently affirmed their commitment to boosting domestic manufacturing. That’s particularly true for technologies at the heart of the US-China competition.
The US “will ensure that the most powerful AI systems are built in the US with American-designed and manufactured chips,” Vice President JD Vance said during an AI summit in Paris earlier this week.
The fact that TSMC is open to an Intel deal indicates a change in tune from just a few months ago. In October, CEO C.C. Wei had told analysts that his company wasn’t interested in acquiring Intel’s factories.
Asked the same question again in January, Wei didn’t directly answer: “They are our very good customers,” he said. “I like them and they are very important to TSMC’s business also. That all I can say.”
--With assistance from Debby Wu and Jenny Leonard.
(Updates with White House response in fifth paragraph.)
