Wang met executives from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, United Microelectronics Corp., Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. and Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.
Vanguard declined comment ahead of quarterly earnings next week but noted the company’s chairman had said this month he expects a 15 percent increase in demand for auto chips this year.
The other three companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
TSMC has already said it will prioritize production for automakers if it is able to further increase capacity, Taiwan’s Economics Ministry said on Monday.
The chip suppliers told Wang that they were at working at full capacity. Business is booming for Taiwan’s tech companies as the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work drive demand for laptops, tablets and smartphones.
She said chipmakers had said they had warned automakers early last year that they were taking a risky approach if they cut orders at time of strong growth in demand for chips for electronics.
The shortage has affected automakers including Volkswagen Group, Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan, and Stellantis.
“This appears to be long-term demand so it will take some time to solve the problem,” Wang said.
