TSMC first-quarter profit likely soared but Trump policies cloud outlook

TSMC, the main global producer of advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications, is set to report a 54% leap in first-quarter profit on Thursday, though is also likely to flag risk from trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker, whose customers include Apple and Nvidia, has benefited from a trend towards implementing AI features in online products. But the firm faces headwind not just from Trump’s import tariffs but also his criticism of Taiwan’s dominance of the chip industry.

Taiwan…