Samsung Electronics Close to Selecting City of Taylor as Home to US$17bn Chip Plant

Samsung Electronics is close to finalizing the construction of a US$17 billion semiconductor foundry in Taylor, a city in Williamson County in the U.S. state of Texas, Reuters reported on Sept. 29 (U.S. local time), quoting sources with knowledge of the matter.

Samsung, however, said it is continuing due diligence in multiple candidate locations, and that it has yet to make a decision, according to the report.

Reuters quoted an anonymous source as saying that Williamson County is the frontrunner among the candidate locations due to subsidies on offer and the likelihood of a stable supply of power and water.

Officials of Taylor and Williamson County held a joint meeting on Sept. 8 and approved a plan to provide incentives such as property tax refunds to attract Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant. The resolution included refunding of 90 percent of the property tax paid by Samsung Electronics over the first 10 years and an 85 percent refunding over the next 10 years. Samsung Electronics will build a six-million-square-foot semiconductor plant by investing US$17 billion by the end of January 2026.

If Samsung Electronics chooses Taylor, the planned factory is expected to be built in the Taylor Independent Education District. In June, Samsung Electronics submitted its plan to build a factory in the education district, requesting tax benefits.