Samsung Electronics is accelerating its Taylor, Texas semiconductor expansion and selectively raising foundry prices, a signal that AI-driven chip scarcity is tightening the advanced-node supply chain. The company has asked equipment suppliers to obtain SEMI safety certification for tools destined for its second Taylor plant before factory specifications are finalized, a time-saving step aimed at supporting a 2030 production target.
The first Taylor factory is set to open this year and will begin trial production as early as next month, focusing on 2-nanometer production. Samsung secured Tesla as a major customer under a foundry contract worth about 22.76 trillion Korean won, or $14.09 billion, for next-generation AI and autonomous chips. The second factory has yet to secure a customer of its own, and industry sources say its timeline depends on whether Tesla expands orders or another large customer signs up.
Local officials said Samsung has installed piers and foundation for the second plant while completing the first. Around 100 Samsung employees have already moved to Taylor, and Samsung E&A is preparing to send dozens of staff to support the work. Samsung’s initial minimum Taylor investment is $17 billion, but the company has not yet received any of the $4.745 billion awarded under the CHIPS and Science Act.
Separately, Chosun Biz reported that Samsung has lifted prices by about 15% on new orders for 4nm and 5nm foundry services, with select 8nm automotive programs included. The increases apply to new clients and new orders rather than existing contracts. UMC has signaled wafer price adjustments for the second half of 2026, and TSMC is reportedly preparing increases of up to about 10% starting in 2027, with additional premiums for rush high-performance-compute orders.
Counterpoint Research’s Foundry 2.0 tracker estimates global foundry revenue rose 23% year over year to $86 billion in the first quarter of 2026, with TSMC the primary beneficiary. Samsung has begun mass production of first-generation 2nm products and initial shipments of 4nm HBM base-die, targeting double-digit foundry revenue growth and improved profitability.
For crypto markets, the immediate direct impact is limited, but constrained advanced-node capacity and rising foundry costs could eventually affect the production economics and supply timelines of specialized mining hardware and other high-performance computing infrastructure.
