The idea of this act wasn't to make chips cheaper. It was to bring semiconductor manufacturing home instead of relying on China. They were always going to be more expensive because we can't compete with slave labor or a complete lack of environmental regulations. Price was the reason we were making them in China in the first place.
What chips were we making in China? Unless you're counting Taiwan as China, but I'd point out that we're still making the top of the line chips in Taiwan.
Like, the vast majority of the less interesting, non-cutting-edge stuff. The PRC does have fabs and everything; it’s just that they are several generations back from cutting edge. And nobody wants to stick their really cutting edge tech into a mainland Chinese factory, because they’ve got an established pattern and practice of outright stealing and reverse-engineering anything interesting they can get their hands on. They don’t give a shit about any IP rules unless it’s their rules.
Yes, but I don't think the CHIPS Act was aimed at the not-so-cutting-edge processes and getting those reshored onto US soil. The US already has a bunch, and the strategic value of those supply chains are less critical to national interests.
The primary difference is that we, and our allies, do make cutting edge lithography equipment, and we’re building factories with that stuff in it.
The idea of this act wasn't to make chips cheaper. It was to bring semiconductor manufacturing home instead of relying on China. They were always going to be more expensive because we can't compete with slave labor or a complete lack of environmental regulations. Price was the reason we were making them in China in the first place.
What chips were we making in China? Unless you're counting Taiwan as China, but I'd point out that we're still making the top of the line chips in Taiwan.
Like, the vast majority of the less interesting, non-cutting-edge stuff. The PRC does have fabs and everything; it’s just that they are several generations back from cutting edge. And nobody wants to stick their really cutting edge tech into a mainland Chinese factory, because they’ve got an established pattern and practice of outright stealing and reverse-engineering anything interesting they can get their hands on. They don’t give a shit about any IP rules unless it’s their rules.
Yes, but I don't think the CHIPS Act was aimed at the not-so-cutting-edge processes and getting those reshored onto US soil. The US already has a bunch, and the strategic value of those supply chains are less critical to national interests.
The primary difference is that we, and our allies, do make cutting edge lithography equipment, and we’re building factories with that stuff in it.