[News] GF Eyes Two New York Fabs with Japan’s $21B Investment, Apple, Renesas Reportedly as Initial Customers
Ahead of TSMC’s October 15 earnings call, the U.S. is stepping up its semiconductor manufacturing ambitions with another major investment push. According to Reuters, Japan plans to invest around $21 billion in up to two chip fabs in New York, jointly owned by the U.S. government and Japanese interests and operated by GlobalFoundries.
The project already has major customers lined up, with GlobalFoundries CEO Tim Breen identifying Japan’s Renesas Electronics and Apple among the initial customers, Reuters reports.
Beyond securing major customers, the deal also promises a long-term revenue stream for GlobalFoundries. Citing the company’s investor call, Reuters reports that GF expects to collect fees under the agreement for at least 20 years, starting with an estimated $50 million in 2027 for overseeing construction of the first fab.
For Renesas, the partnership also marks a step toward greater supply chain resilience. According to EE Times Japan, President Hidetoshi Shibata views GlobalFoundries’ new U.S. manufacturing capacity as an extension of the company’s own production footprint. DEMPA DIGITAL adds that Japan aims to leverage GF’s foundry capabilities to strengthen overseas supply chains for automotive and industrial IoT chips.
The benefits could extend to Japan’s semiconductor equipment sector. Tokyo Electron is expected to support the new fabs with manufacturing equipment and technology, building on its longstanding partnership with GlobalFoundries across production sites worldwide, EE Times Japan reports.
Two New Fabs Could Lift U.S. Wafer Capacity by 10%
Under the proposed investment plan, GlobalFoundries says roughly $10 billion will initially go toward a new 300mm fab, slated to begin operations in 2029, with another $10 billion earmarked for a potential second facility. Reuters notes that construction of the first fab is set to begin this year, while a decision on the second is expected by the end of 2028.
Once fully operational, the first fab is projected to produce approximately 900,000 300mm wafers annually, with a second facility potentially matching that output. Together, the two fabs could lift total U.S. wafer production capacity by roughly 10%, potentially turning Malta into one of the country’s largest chipmaking hubs, according to MarketBeat.
Trump Expands U.S. Chip Equity Push from Intel to GlobalFoundries
The GlobalFoundries project is part of a broader U.S.-Japan trade agreement reached last year, under which Japan pledged $550 billion in U.S. investments and financing in exchange for Washington cutting tariffs on Japanese automobiles and other imports from at least 25% to 15%, according to Reuters.
The deal also marks a deeper financial commitment from Washington. GlobalFoundries CEO Tim Breen told Reuters that the U.S. government’s stake in the chipmaker is set to rise from 3% to 7%.
Trump drew a direct parallel with Intel, highlighting the GlobalFoundries agreement in an X post as another deal that would give U.S. taxpayers a stake in a domestic chipmaker. Back in August 2025, the Trump administration acquired a 10% stake in Intel and announced roughly $10 billion in funding to build or expand its U.S. manufacturing facilities.
Read more
- [News] GlobalFoundries Reportedly Sees Silicon Photonics Revenue Doubling in 2026, Passing $1B by 2028
- [News] TSMC’s $2B Silicon Interposer Deal with GF Could Fast-Track U.S. Packaging to 1H28, Free Up Fab Capacity
(Photo credit: GlobalFoundries)
