UMC, a major wafer foundry, announced revenue in September, which amounted to NT$19.927 billion, an increase of 4% from August and an increase of 5.2% from the same period in 2024, a record high for the same period. Cumulatively, revenue in the third quarter reached 59.127 billion yuan, an increase of 0.6% from the second quarter and a decrease of 2.25% from the same period in 2024, setting a record for the third highest period in the same period. Cumulatively, revenue in the first three quarters of 2025 was 175.743 billion yuan, an increase of 2.23% compared with the same period in 2024.
Wang Shi, co-general manager of Fashuo Conference last quarter, pointed out that Wang Shi said that with the correct differentiation strategy of UMC, the 22/28 nanometer process will be a key technology node with strong and long-term competitiveness, and it will have a complete product line. In addition, UMC's industry-leading 22/28nm solutions continue to gain widespread adoption among customers. The company expects that in the next few quarters, UMC's market share in the wireless communications field will further increase, which will bring more growth opportunities to it in this important market.
As for the long-term boom in the third quarter, UMC expects that wafer shipments will still increase slightly. However, the company also warned that unfavorable exchange rate movements will lead to a decrease in revenue calculated in New Taiwan dollars. This once again highlights the potential impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on a company's financial performance. Facing the complex challenges of the overall economy and geopolitics, UMC will pay close attention to the short-term market uncertainties and risks, especially the continued attention to the U.S. tariff policy.
However, it was recently reported that UMC issued a notification letter to suppliers, requiring the supply chain to propose a specific and executable price reduction plan within one month, and the reduction must be higher than 15%. This large-scale cost optimization will officially take effect from January 1, 2026, and the adjustment plan must cover the entire year of 2026. UMC emphasized in its official notice that drastic changes in the international situation have led to an overall increase in costs such as energy, raw materials and logistics, which has put great pressure on the company's operations and gross profit margins. For the first time in recent years, the wafer foundry industry has demanded large-scale supply chain price cuts, shaking the semiconductor industry.