On May 18, according to the Nikkei Asian Review, several sources said that TSMC has suspended receiving new orders from Huawei in response to further US export controls and tightened restrictions on Huawei’s key chip supply.

In response, TSMC responded that it would not disclose the details of the order, and pointed out that the Nikkei report was “purely a market rumor.” In response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s announcement of the Huawei ban last Friday, TSMC emphasized that the company will conduct legal analysis with U.S. lawyers to ensure a comprehensive review and interpretation of the relevant regulations. It is expected to obtain the evaluation results before it takes effect.

21IC noticed that Huawei is TSMC’s second largest customer, and its contribution to TSMC is second only to Apple, accounting for 15-20% of TSMC’s annual revenue. As the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer and the second largest smartphone manufacturer, Huawei is not only the main force in promoting advanced chip design and manufacturing, but also highly dependent on advanced process foundry companies such as TSMC. It can be said that TSMC and Huawei have achieved each other and jointly promoted the development of chip design and manufacturing processes. This time, the United States has unreasonably increased export controls and artificially created divisions, posing a huge threat to the global supply chain of the semiconductor industry. It is not only Huawei that is affected, but also many related companies around the world and even the entire industry.