The Impact of the April 3rd Earthquake on Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry
2024/04/03
A. Background Information on the April 3rd Earthquake
On the morning of April 3rd, 2024, at 7:58 AM, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck, with its epicenter located 25.0 kilometers south-southeast of the Hualien County , in the eastern waters of Taiwan. The earthquake had a depth of 15.5 kilometers. The seismic intensity reached level 6 in Hualien, level 5 in Yilan and Miaoli, level 4 in New Taipei City, Taichung, level 5 in Changhua, Nantou, and Hsinchu County, while other areas reached level 4. Only the western outlying islands experienced levels 1 to 3. Taiwan's semiconductor industry is primarily concentrated in the western part of the island, including the Hsinchu Science Park, Taichung Science Park, and Tainan Science Park, which are not in the epicenter region of this earthquake.
B. The Impact of the April 3rd Earthquake on Taiwan's Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry
I. Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry Holds Significant Influence over the Global ICT Industry
Taiwan's semiconductor industry has developed for over 40 years, boasting a complete supply chain and the world's most comprehensive semiconductor industry clusters with specialized division of labor. It leads globally in process technology and boasts a well-trained workforce.