How Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman is courting Taiwan
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Mayor Mark Freeman. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman is on an economic development mission to Taiwan this week.
Why it matters: Cities across the Valley are hoping to forge direct diplomatic relations with Taiwan as they vie for the next semiconductor investment.
State of play: His visit — he left Friday and returns Wednesday — coincides with Taiwan's Semicon 2026, a major international trade show.
- Next year, Phoenix will host Semicon West, a newly added spring conference.
What they're saying: "Mayor Freeman will meet with business and government leaders and participate in industry discussions to ensure Mesa is part of those conversations," his office tells Axios in a statement.
- "Taiwan's global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing makes those connections especially valuable as Mesa works to attract new investment and jobs."
By the numbers: The booming trade relationship between Arizona and Taiwan is heavily tilted toward imports, with more than $16 billion in goods imported from the country in 2025.
Zoom in: At the heart of the strong economic relations is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which represents the largest single foreign investment project in U.S. history.
- The company recently announced it'll spend another $100 billion to expand chipmaking capacity in Arizona, bringing its total investment here to $265 billion.
Yes, but: Phoenix has a major head start, with TSMC's massive north Phoenix campus already anchoring Taiwan's semiconductor presence in the Valley.
The bottom line: Mesa and its neighbors are trying to make sure the next wave of Taiwanese investment doesn't stop at Phoenix.