Summary
- Nvidia and TSMC produced the first Blackwell chip in the U.S., built at TSMC Arizona.
- Administration tariffs spurred onshoring pressure; this move echoes the push to bring manufacturing back.
- U.S.-made Blackwell chips could cement America as an AI hardware hub and create local jobs.
One of the biggest focuses of President Trump’s term is bringing more production onto US turf. People have had differing opinions on whether or not this was a good idea, but Trump himself didn’t leave much wiggle room. With tariffs having a huge effect on outsourcing hardware from other countries, the President’s message was clear: move production over to the US, or pay up.
Well, it seems that some big tech companies are beginning to warm to the former option. Nvidia has revealed its first Blackwell chip manufactured within the US, and it may signify a shift in how American companies get their products made.
Nvidia shows off the first-ever Blackwell wafer that’s “made in America”
In a press release on the Nvidia news site, the company announces that it teamed up with TSMC to get the first-ever Blackwell wafer produced on US soil. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, took to the stage to sign the wafer and took some time to reflect on how this breakthrough will change how Nvidia’s products are produced:
“This is a historic moment for several reasons. It’s the very first time in recent American history that the single most important chip is being manufactured here in the United States by the most advanced fab, by TSMC, here in the United States. This is the vision of President Trump of reindustrialization — to bring back manufacturing to America, to create jobs, of course, but also, this is the single most vital manufacturing industry and the most important technology industry in the world.”
Ray Chuang, CEO of TSMC Arizona, also had some nice things to say about the partnership:
“To go from arriving in Arizona to delivering the first U.S.-made NVIDIA Blackwell chip in just a few short years represents the very best of TSMC. This milestone is built on three decades of partnership with NVIDIA — pushing the boundaries of technology together — and on the unwavering dedication of our employees and the local partners who helped to make TSMC Arizona possible.”
Nvidia goes on to claim that onshoring the production of these chips is “paving the way for sustained American leadership in artificial intelligence.” As such, it’ll be exciting to see where Nvidia goes from here. If the company can truly make its US-based operations flourish, it may help America become the central hub for all things AI, both in terms of software and hardware. We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out from here on. Maybe AMD’s claims of beating Blackwell may still come true?
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