Core Viewpoint - TSMC has decided to prioritize investment in expanding its U.S. operations over the construction of a second factory in Kumamoto, Japan, due to concerns over potential tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imported chips [1][2]. Group 1: Investment Decisions - TSMC's second factory in Japan was part of a $20 billion investment plan, which has received over $8 billion in support from the Japanese government [2]. - The construction of the second factory, initially scheduled to begin earlier this year, has been delayed, with no accurate timeline for the start of operations currently available [3]. - TSMC's global expansion continues, with a factory under construction in Germany expected to be operational by the end of 2027 [3]. Group 2: U.S. Operations - TSMC announced plans to invest at least $100 billion in the U.S. over the coming years, in addition to a previously announced investment of $65 billion [3]. - The company is building its third chip factory in Phoenix, Arizona, which will be the only facility outside Taiwan capable of producing the most advanced process chips for major U.S. tech companies like Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD [3].