TSMC, the world’s most important chipmaker, has been spending aggressively to shape Washington policy. The company dropped $3.28 million on federal lobbying in 2025, with an additional $570,000 disclosed for the third quarter alone.
The company currently employs 22 lobbyists to advocate on its behalf in the US capital. 18 of those 22 have revolving-door backgrounds, meaning they previously worked in government agencies or congressional offices before switching sides to lobby for a foreign semiconductor giant.
The lobbying machine behind the chips
TSMC’s lobbying work spans policy areas including export controls, tariffs, and the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the landmark legislation that allocated tens of billions of dollars to support domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
The CHIPS Act was designed to reduce America’s dependence on foreign chip production by incentivizing companies to build factories on US soil. TSMC has been significantly expanding its Arizona facilities since the legislation was enacted, positioning itself as a primary beneficiary of federal funding earmarked for domestic chip manufacturing.
