Pima County's Taiwan trip lands MOUs, semiconductor leads - KVOA

Pima County officials recently visited Taiwan and secured two new international memoranda of understanding (MOUs), with semiconductor cooperation emerging as a key focus. The delegation, comprising re... Read original →

Pima County’s outreach to Taiwan, China targets the outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) ecosystem—a strategic move by U.S. subnational actors to anchor mature-node supply chains under the CHIPS Act. Technically, ASE-led investments could spur demand for advanced packaging materials and test infrastructure in Southern Arizona, though fragmented 2.5D/3D integration standards risk interoperability costs. Compliance-wise, tightening U.S.-China export controls may compel Taiwanese firms to deploy 'clean-room-only' fabs in the U.S., inflating capex. Competitively, ASE’s advance could push Amkor to accelerate its Mexico expansion, creating a dual-track 'nearshore + friend-shore' rivalry. Over the next 18 months, such MOUs will pivot toward talent capture: university-linked pipelines for microelectronics graduates offer more sustainable advantage than fab subsidies alone.