According to TechNews and Cnyes reports, TSMC (台積電) has completed talks with clients to raise foundry prices 5%-10% starting early 2027, with some advanced-node HPC orders facing over 10% increases; Apple's iPhone 18 series pricing may be affected.
How much will TSMC raise prices, and does it vary by case?
According to TechNews, market sources say TSMC (台積電) plans to raise wafer foundry prices starting in 2027, with both advanced and mature process prices rising by up to 10% (E1). The report specifies that "based on different clients and products, the basic increase ranges from 5% to 10%" (E2).
The increase is not uniform, however. TechNews reports that if a client adds high-performance computing (HPC) chip orders beyond originally forecast demand, TSMC will charge an additional 10%-15% premium on top of the base increase. As a result, some advanced-node orders will see a total price increase exceeding 10%, while mature-node prices will rise by a maximum of about 10% (E3).
Segment
Increase
Source
Advanced & mature process (general)
Up to 10%
E1, technews.tw
Base increase by client/product
5%-10%
E2, technews.tw
HPC orders exceeding forecast demand
+10%-15% premium (total can exceed 10%)
E3, technews.tw
What is the timeline for the price negotiations?
TechNews cites people familiar with the matter saying TSMC (台積電) "began price negotiations in June [2025] and completed talks in July, with new prices expected to take effect officially in early 2027" (E4). This places roughly 18 months between the completion of negotiations and the effective date of the new pricing.
Why is TSMC raising prices now — what cost or strategic factors are cited?
TechNews reports that TSMC (台積電) Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), during the company's second-quarter earnings call, announced an additional $100 billion investment to expand the Arizona fab site, and raised the 2026 capital expenditure ceiling to as much as $64 billion (E5).
In the same call, discussing Samsung Electronics' (三星電子) recent profitability, Wei said he "envies memory makers' gross margins, which can reach as high as 86%," but stressed that TSMC would not raise prices as sharply as the memory industry, saying that "if prices were suddenly raised four or five times, clients would have a hard time surviving" (E6).
How does TSMC characterize this pricing decision?
According to TechNews, TSMC (台積電) declined to comment directly on the price hike, saying only that its pricing strategy "is based on long-term strategy, rather than seizing a market opportunity," and that it will continue working closely with clients while demonstrating the value TSMC creates for them (E7).
What could this mean for Apple's iPhone 18 series pricing?
A Cnyes report headline states that TSMC (台積電) plans to raise prices 5% to 10% starting early 2027, and that pricing for Apple's iPhone 18 series new models may rise in tandem (E8). The report does not provide a specific dollar figure or percentage for how much iPhone 18 pricing itself might change.
What this means
Taken together, the reports show a gap between TSMC's public framing and the scale of the numbers involved: the company describes the increase as "long-term strategy" rather than opportunistic (E7), even as it simultaneously discloses a $100 billion Arizona expansion and a capex ceiling raised to $64 billion for 2026 (E5). Wei's own comparison — noting memory makers' margins of up to 86% while insisting TSMC's increases would not match that scale (E6) — sits alongside a pricing structure where some HPC orders could see total increases exceeding 10% once the 10%-15% premium is added to the base 5%-10% hike (E2, E3). Whether this base-plus-premium structure translates into a specific increase for iPhone 18 series pricing is not detailed in the available reporting (E8); only the directional link between TSMC's foundry price hike and Apple's device pricing has been reported so far.
When are TSMC's new foundry prices expected to take effect?
According to TechNews, negotiations began in June 2025 and concluded in July 2025, with new prices expected to take effect officially in early 2027 (E4).
Does the price hike apply equally to all TSMC clients?
No. TechNews reports base increases of 5%-10% vary by client and product, and clients adding HPC orders beyond forecast demand face an extra 10%-15% premium, pushing some advanced-node orders above a 10% total increase, while mature-node increases are capped at about 10% (E2, E3).
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