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Investing.com– TSMC (TW:) (NYSE:) evacuated some of its factories in Tainan early Tuesday, after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan, several media reports said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s largest contract chipmaker evacuated its facilities in the Tainan science park, as well as other factories in central and southern Taiwan, reports from Nikkei and Reuters said.<\/p>\n
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck a rural area near the city of Chiayi, Taiwanese authorities said on Tuesday, reporting limited damage from the quake. The quake was close to the city of Tainan, which is a major tech hub in Taiwan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s quake was the biggest earthquake to hit Taiwan after a 7.2 magnitude quake in April, which battered the country\u2019s east coast.<\/p>\n
TSMC\u2019s operations are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes, given the delicate nature of lithographic equipment. Last year\u2019s earthquake had cost the company about $92 million in damages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Any staggered disruptions to TSMC\u2019s output bode poorly for global chip supplies, given the company\u2019s dominant position in producing advanced chips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Taiwan is located near the junction of two tectonic plates, and has a history of seismic activity. The most catastrophic earthquake to hit the island was the Chi-Chi quake in September 1999.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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