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| ▲ Samsung Electronics’ Austin plant in the US (Photo = Samsung Electronics) |
As the’semiconductor supply and demand crisis’ continues around the world, attention is focused on the background of Samsung Electronics’ invitation to the White House in the United States.
Considering the situation in which US President Joe Biden is pursuing a restructuring of the global semiconductor supply chain centered on the US, some analysis suggests that Samsung Electronics, the number one memory semiconductor and second in the foundry, will be paying a tough bill.
According to foreign media reports, President Biden’s national security and economic advisers will invite semiconductor industry officials to the White House on the 12th to examine the recent shortage of semiconductor chips and discuss solutions.
It is reported that the meeting was attended by White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chairman of the National Economy Committee (NEC), and a number of global semiconductor companies including Samsung Electronics and automobile and tech companies such as General Motors were invited.
The superficial background of this invitation is to discuss the recent shortage of global semiconductor supply.
Earlier this year, as the supply shortage of semiconductors for automobiles around the world became severe this year, the North American plant of General Motors (GM) began to cut production. Major global automakers, such as Volkswagen, Stellaantis, and Ford, also suffered production disruptions.
In particular, the supply and demand crisis worsened as major automotive semiconductor companies such as NXP and Infineon were shut down due to a cold wave. Market intelligence company IHS Markit predicts that automobile production will be delayed by nearly 1 million units in the first quarter of this year due to a disruption in the automotive semiconductor supply chain.
Under such circumstances, it is predicted that the White House will ask global semiconductor manufacturers to cooperate to supply semiconductors to US companies preferentially. It listens to the specific demands of US automakers and tech companies and connects cooperation with global semiconductor companies.
Furthermore, there is an analysis that the invitation to the White House is part of a long-term reorganization of the semiconductor supply chain in the United States.
In February of this year, President Biden issued an executive order to investigate the supply chain of four key products, including semiconductors, for 100 days.
The U.S. announced on the 1st that it will invest $50 billion (about 56 trillion won) in the US semiconductor industry, when it announced a plan to invest $2 trillion (about 2,260 trillion won) worth of ultra-large infrastructure construction.
Samsung Electronics is ranked first in the world in the memory semiconductor market and second in the foundry market after Taiwan’s TSMC.
Samsung Electronics operates a foundry plant in Austin, Texas. Recently, it is negotiating with the state authorities over a review of a $17 billion foundry investment in Texas, New York, and Arizona in the United States.
Some analysts say that the White House can encourage Samsung Electronics to not only cooperate with the supply and demand of semiconductors in the short term, but also to invest in domestic foundry expansion.
Earlier, Intel, the world’s largest integrated semiconductor company, promised to invest 20 billion dollars (about 22.700 billion won) to establish two new semiconductor factories in Arizona, USA last month.
An official from the semiconductor industry said, “Inviting Samsung Electronics to the White House seems to be an extension of the US executive order to investigate the semiconductor supply chain.” Expected.
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