According to United Daily News (UDN), Nikkei Asia reported that TSMC (台積電) has discussed raising 2027 wafer prices by a base 5%–10%, plus a 10%–15% surcharge on rush high-performance-computing (HPC) orders. Central News Agency (CNA) reports talks ran from June to July, effective early next year. TSMC told Nikkei it does not comment on pricing and calls its approach 'strategic, not opportunistic.'
Nikkei Reports TSMC Plans Up to 10% Price Hike for 2027
According to UDN, which cited a Nikkei Asia report based on unnamed sources, TSMC (台積電) "has held discussions with clients and plans to raise prices by up to 10% in 2027 to cover rising production material costs" 1. CNA's separate report puts the same figure at "up to 10%" for both advanced and mature process wafer foundry services, tied to rising costs for materials, manufacturing equipment, and overseas fab expansion 4. A second UDN article, also sourced to Japanese media, confirms the same ceiling — up to 10% starting in 2027 — plus an additional surcharge on customer add-on orders 14.
Not a Flat Hike: 5%–10% Base Increase, Plus 10%–15% on HPC Rush Orders
The increase is not uniform. UDN reports TSMC has discussed raising base fees by "5% to 10%" with unnamed customers, with Nikkei noting the range could span both advanced and mature process chips 2. CNA, citing sources familiar with the matter, says the base increase "ranges from 5% to 10%, depending on the customer and product" 6. On top of that base rate, CNA reports TSMC plans to charge an extra "10% to 15%" premium specifically on high-performance computing (HPC) chip orders that exceed a customer's original forecast — meaning some advanced-node orders could see a total increase above 10% 7.
Advanced vs. Mature Nodes: 77% of Revenue from 7nm and Below
CNA reports that 7-nanometer and more advanced process technologies accounted for about 77% of TSMC's revenue in the April-to-June 2026 quarter 5. For mature and legacy nodes — 12nm, 16nm, and 28nm among others — CNA reports TSMC "plans to raise prices by up to 10%," though some products will see increases below that level. These mature-node chips made up about 23% of TSMC's most recent quarterly revenue 8.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Overall 2027 price ceiling | Up to 10% | UDN 1, CNA 4, UDN 14 |
| Base price increase | 5%–10% | UDN 2, CNA 6 |
| HPC rush-order surcharge | 10%–15% extra | CNA 7, UDN 14 |
| Revenue share, 7nm+ (Apr–Jun 2026) | 77% | CNA 5 |
| Revenue share, mature nodes | 23% | CNA 8 |
| Memory makers' gross margin (per C.C. Wei) | 86% | CNA 11 |
Behind the Hike: Rising Costs for Materials, Equipment, and Electricity
UDN reports that "TSMC and other chipmakers are facing a rise in several production input costs, including materials, equipment, and electricity" 3. The report does not disclose specific figures for how much any of these input costs have risen.
Timeline: Talks Started in June, Settled in July, Effective Early Next Year
CNA, citing sources familiar with the matter, reports that "this round of price increases began negotiations around June, was settled in July, and the new prices are set to take effect in early next year" 9.
Who Pays: NVIDIA, Apple, Google, and Other Major Customers
CNA identifies TSMC's major customers as "NVIDIA, Apple, Google, Amazon, Qualcomm, Arm, and MediaTek (聯發科)," describing them as leading global chip design firms 10. The report does not specify which of these customers are party to the reported price discussions.
TSMC's Official Response: 'We Do Not Comment on Pricing'
Asked by Nikkei Asia for comment, TSMC responded that it "does not comment on pricing matters," adding that "our pricing strategy has always been strategic rather than opportunistic. We will continue to work closely with our customers to deliver value" 13. A second UDN report carries an identical July 21 statement from TSMC 15.
CNA also reports separate remarks from TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at an earnings call, where he said he "envies" memory chipmakers' gross margin of 86% but stressed that TSMC "will not adjust prices the way the memory industry does" 11. Wei added, "we will not suddenly raise prices four or five times over," saying such an increase would be too difficult for customers to sustain 12.
What This Means
The reported figures show a hike that is layered rather than flat: a 5%–10% base increase (E2, E6) that can stack with a further 10%–15% surcharge on HPC rush orders (E7, E14), pushing some advanced-node orders past the 10% headline figure cited by Nikkei (E1, E4). That advanced-node exposure matters given 7nm-and-below processes made up 77% of TSMC's revenue last quarter, against 23% for mature nodes capped at up to 10% (E5, E8). Set against Wei's own comparison — envying memory makers' 86% margin while explicitly ruling out memory-style pricing swings (E11, E12) — TSMC's public statement that its approach is "strategic rather than opportunistic" (E13, E15) reads as a direct contrast to the multiple-fold price swings seen elsewhere in the chip supply chain, even as the company declines to confirm the specific figures reported by Nikkei.