Wistron, Inventec get MOEA approval to build server plants in U.S.

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Leading Taiwanese contract electronics makers Wistron Corp. and Inventec Corp. received a green light from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to build server facilities in the United States.

In a statement Tuesday, the MOEA's Department of Investment Review said it approved Wistron's plan to invest US$455 million through subsidiary Wistron Infocomm (USA) Corp. to buy a plant in Texas.

The company has said it is planning to roll out artificial intelligence servers at the factory starting in the first quarter of next year to bypass Trump administration tariffs on foreign imports.

The MOEA said it also gave a green light to Inventec, which plans to invest US$85 million to build a new server facility in Texas.

According to the MOEA, Inventec will invest the US$85 million in its American subsidiary Inventec (USA) Corp. to finance the plant's construction.

In April, Inventec announced it has decided to build a facility in the U.S. state of Texas to produce AI services, adding the U.S. investment is part of its global expansion, while the Texas plant is expected to cater to its American clients and reinforce business ties with them.

Meanwhile, in other foreign investments approved Tuesday, smartphone brand HTC Corp. got the go-ahead to inject US$220 million into subsidiary HTC (B.V.I.) Corp. for strategic and financial investments, and Yuanta Financial Holding Co. got approval to invest about US$116 million in South Korea to expand its banking business.

In terms of foreign direct investment in Taiwan, the MOEA has approved a plan by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. to invest about NT$6.64 billion (US$224 million) in Taiwan's offshore wind energy sector.

As for China bound investments, the MOEA said printed circuit board maker Unimicron Technology Corp. has secured approval to spend US$20 million to raise the amount of capital in its subsidiary in Kunshan to expand production capacity.