The world’s largest chipmaker, Taiwan-based TSMC, is not departing from its customers’ behaviors, despite concerns about tariffs impacting the semiconductor sector. TSMC, in its first quarterly results, reported a net income of NT$360.7 billion, an increase of over 60% year-on-year, beating rumors about lower earnings. Its revenue grew by 41.6% year-on-year in the first three months of 2025, but slowed by 3.4% compared to the previous quarter, mainly due to weak smartphone sales, which account for 28% of revenue.
The sector faces uncertainty over potential tariffs, with President Donald Trump expressing wanting the US chip business back and wanting it back, which has been causing tensions globally, including in TSMC. In March, TSMC announced investing $160 billion in the U.S. and has committed to increasing its manufacturing there by spending $1.6 trillion in the next three fiscal years.
Investors are closely monitoring the White House’s plans over potential tariffs, but US export restrictions are making it difficult for TSMC’s second-largest customer, Nvidia, to keep its inventory, which it is to write off $5.5 billion. Despite these challenges, TSMC maintained its revenue growth expectations for the second quarter, projecting between $28.4 billion and $29.2 billion, though this has been tempered by some volatility in the market.
In pre-market trade in the U.S., TSMC shares climbed, but the stock has fallen over 20% year-to-date. Barringer, a global technology analyst, parsed the story as a case of uncertainty and risk, emphasizing the resilience of TSMC’s business in the face of potential tariffs and the need for stability in the coming months.
