The Taiwanese chip giant TSMC’s plan to invest $100 billion in the United States has been met with anxiety and criticism in its home country.

The US$100 billion outlay may avert threatened tariffs, but it risks undermining the island’s strategically vital semiconductor industry.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and the CEO of Taiwan's largest chipmaker on Thursday held a joint news conference defending TSMC's decision to invest $100 billion in the U.S., saying that it stemmed from customer demand and not out of pressure from the Trump administration.

Trump, Chip Maker TSMC Expected to Announce $100 Billion Investment in U.S. Here's What Happened When Physicists Simulated A Black Hole In A Lab

President Donald Trump on Monday met with the chief of one of the world's biggest semiconductor chip producers amid talk of a new hundred billion-dollar U.S. investment. Trump and CEO C.C. Wei announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company,

President Trump and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing announced a $100 billion company investment in Phoenix. The deal could have broad significance.

Trump said TSMC’s plans would create “many thousands” of high-paying jobs and described the production of AI chips within the US as a “matter of economic security” for the country.

Taiwan-based TSMC fabricates the vast majority of the advanced chips for AI and smartphones. Now more of that fabrication could move to Arizona.

It was not immediately clear whether the $100 billion investment was in addition to the company’s previously announced investments of $65 billion in factories in Arizona.

Read more about Taiwan-based TSMC's plans to invest $100 billion more in its semiconductor manufacturing operations in Arizona to advance AI efforts.

The investment would help bolster President Donald Trump’s pledge to make the United States dominant in artificial intelligence.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing will again expand its Phoenix complex, to a new $165 billion stake. The move aims to avoid tariffs.