Asian Tech Press (Mar. 28) -- Chip makers TSMC, SMIC say COVID-19 lockdown won't affect production at their Shanghai plants.

China's largest chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC, 00981.HK), headquartered in Shanghai's Pudong New Area, responded on Monday that with the support of various government departments and the company's efforts, the production operations are now normal.

SMIC has 8-inch and 12-inch fabs in Shanghai, where its most advanced processes are concentrated, with a monthly capacity of about 35,000 wafers.

TSMC, which has an 8-inch wafer fab in Shanghai's Songjiang district, said in a statement released Sunday that it is following all local government measures against COVID-19.

The Taiwan-based chip maker also said that production at its Songjiang plant in Puxi is currently unaffected by the lockdown of Shanghai.

Shanghai announced Sunday half of the city will be locked down by turns, bounded by the Huangpu River, to conduct rapid mass nucleic acid testing.

The Pudong area has been blocked since Monday and will be unblocked at 5 a.m. on April 1. While Puxi area, shut down on April 1, lifting the blockdown at 3 a.s. on April 5.