台北/新加坡10月22日电 - 三位知情人士称，台湾台积电正在探索工厂设备中稀土零部件的替代方案，旨在降低北京方面的出口管制可能干扰生产全球最先进芯片工厂运营的风险。
TAIPEI/SINGAPORE, Oct 22 - Taiwan's TSMC is exploring alternatives to rare-earth components in factory equipment, three people familiar with the matter said, aiming to reduce the risk that Beijing's export controls could disrupt operations at plants that make the world's most advanced chips.
这一首次被报道的举措凸显出，在去年中国将某些稀土材料、磁铁及相关加工技术置于出口管制并要求发放许可证之后，中国对稀土的掌控已成为全球半导体产业的一个脆弱环节。
The move, reported for the first time, underscores how China's grip on rare earths has become a vulnerability for the global semiconductor industry after the country last year put certain rare-earth materials, magnets and related processing technology under export controls, requiring licences.
稀土磁铁常用于驱动工业设备中运动部件的马达，包括台积电等高度自动化工厂所使用的机械。此类专业零部件的短缺可能会打乱智能手机、人工智能系统、数据中心和国防供应链中客户的芯片生产。
Rare-earth magnets are commonly used in motors that power moving parts in industrial equipment, including machinery found in highly automated factories such as those operated by TSMC. A shortage of such specialised parts could disrupt chip production for customers in smartphone, AI system, data centre and defence supply chains.
知晓台积电该计划的三位行业高管表示，作为全球最大的代工芯片制造商，台积电已就工厂自动化设备使用无稀土马达一事向供应商进行了调查。其中一位知情人士称，此举是由对来自中国的潜在供应链中断的担忧所驱动的。
TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, has surveyed suppliers on using rare-earth-free motors in factory-automation equipment, according to three industry executives briefed by the company on its plans. One of the people said the effort was driven by concerns about potential supply disruptions from China.
其中两位知情人士表示，相关讨论仍处于早期阶段，尚未导致无稀土设备的广泛推出。这家台湾公司未立即回应置评请求。
The discussions remain at an early stage and have not yet resulted in a broad rollout of rare-earth-free equipment, according to two of the people. The Taiwanese company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
华盛顿与台北寻求替代方案 在台积电采取这些举措之前，美国和台湾曾发表声明称，它们将开始寻找减少对中国稀土及关键矿产供应链依赖的方法。
WASHINGTON AND TAIPEI SEEK ALTERNATIVES TSMC's efforts follow statements from the United States and Taiwan that they would begin looking for ways to reduce their reliance on Chinese rare-earth and critical-mineral supply chains.
今年6月，美国驻台北的实际上的大使馆——美国在台协会处长谷立言表示，美国正与台湾及其他伙伴合作，以开发替代供应源、扩大加工能力并建立更具韧性的供应链。
In June, Raymond F. Greene, the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in Taipei, said the United States is working with Taiwan and other partners to develop alternative sources of supply, expand processing capacity and build more resilient supply chains.
台湾经济部长龚明鑫2月表示，政府将支持国内研究机构工业技术研究院（工研院）开发稀土技术，并计划在三年内建立一条能够满足该岛约50%国内需求的试验生产线。
Taiwan's Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin said in February that the government would give support to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a domestic research organisation, to develop rare-earth technologies, with plans to establish a pilot production line within three years that could meet an estimated 50% of the island's domestic demand.
一位熟悉相关讨论的美国智库人士称，美国官员对工研院的工作表现出特有的兴趣，并已就关键矿产供应链多元化问题与该机构展开会谈。美国国务院未立即回应置评请求。
US officials have shown particular interest in ITRI's work and have engaged the institute in talks about diversifying critical-mineral supply chains, according to a person at a US-based think tank familiar with the discussions. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
工研院在一份声明中表示，其正与台湾经济部产业技术司合作规划稀土项目。该机构未提供进一步评论。
In a statement, ITRI said it was working with the Department of Industrial Technology at Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs to plan a rare-earth project. It did not provide further comment.