TSMC donates $1.58M to quake-hit Kumamoto as fab resumes normal operations

TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited ↘ 1.20%, the world's largest contract chipmaker, announced on Monday that it will donate 250 million yen (approximately $1.58 million) to support reconstruction in Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, where a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on July 28.nhk+1

The company said in a social media post that Kumamoto is one of its important global production bases and pledged to continue providing support depending on the situation and needs of affected communities. TSMC's subsidiary, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), operates a plant in the prefecture's Kikuyo Town.nhk

Fab Operations Restored

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, TSMC confirmed on August 4 that operations at its Kumamoto fab have fully returned to normal following the earthquake. The company's second fab under construction in the area also did not suffer setbacks from the quake. TSMC additionally launched an employee fundraising campaign through its charity foundation to raise further donations for relief efforts.focustaiwan

The company said it has operated in Japan for nearly 30 years and has built close relationships with local suppliers, partners, and customers.instagram

A Devastating Quake

The July 28 earthquake killed at least 34 people and caused widespread destruction across Kumamoto Prefecture, according to NPR and Al Jazeera. The quake knocked out power to roughly 40,000 homes, left more than 79,000 without water, and halted rail services across the region. Nearly half of the deaths were linked to structural damage at a Nippon Paper Industries paper mill and a possible gas explosion at an Aeon store.npr+1

Other organizations have also stepped up relief contributions. China Airlines Group announced it will donate about $304,000 and fly relief supplies free of charge to affected areas through the end of August. The TSMC donation and confirmation that chip production remains intact also helped ease fears in global semiconductor markets, with chip-focused ETFs rebounding sharply in recent days after the sector lost more than $3 trillion in market value during July.ad-hoc-news+1