TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Saturday that she had received a letter from the White House about a global shortage of automated chips and that Taiwanese semi-automated companies are “doing what they should” to deal with the problem.
Tight chip supply has caused problems for car manufacturers around the world, which in some cases is hindering production.
This week U.S. President Joe Biden’s chief economic adviser Brian Deese thanked Wang for his efforts to address the shortage in coordination with the island’s manufacturers.
Wang told reporters she received the letter Friday night, adding that she had previously met with local chip makers on the issue, referring to meetings she held a few weeks ago.
“Going forward, manufacturers are doing what they should,” she said.
This is a problem that affects carmakers around the world, including the United States, Japan and Europe, and Taiwan is an important supplier, Wang said.
“We’re helping as much as we can,” she said.
The shortage has affected Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co., Subaru Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and other car manufacturers.
Chip manufacturers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker, have pledged to prioritize production.
The issue has become a diplomatic issue. In addition to the letter from the United States, the German economy minister has also written to Wang asking for help.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Edited by Lincoln Feast.