Taiwan and the United States signed an agreement in January to reduce tariffs on a wide range of Taiwanese exports, paving the way for a major wave of investment in the U.S.

Under the deal, Taiwanese companies have pledged to invest around $250 billion in sectors including semiconductors, energy and artificial intelligence.

TSMC Leads Expansion Effort

Taiwan’s investment push is being spearheaded by TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker.

Taiwanese official Kung Ming-hsin said he would visit Arizona, where TSMC is investing $165 billion to build advanced semiconductor factories.

Strong Presence at U.S. Investment Summit

Kung said Taiwan’s delegation to the SelectUSA Investment Summit, scheduled to take place in Maryland from May 3 to 6, is expected to be one of the largest.

“The fact that so many companies have joined really shows that Taiwan’s businesses are interested in the U.S. market and in investing there,” he said.

The summit is hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Strategic Ties and Trade Tensions

The United States remains Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, even as trade frictions persist.

Taiwan runs a significant trade surplus with the U.S., an issue that has drawn criticism from the administration of Donald Trump.

Taiwan’s government has maintained that investment decisions ultimately rest with private companies.

Broader Industry Participation

Other major Taiwanese firms are also expanding their U.S. presence. These include Foxconn, a key server supplier to AI chip giant Nvidia, and GlobalWafers, a leading silicon wafer producer.

(with inputs from Reuters)