Foxconn and TSMC purchased $350 million worth of coronavirus vaccines and handed them over to the Taiwan government
| Customers: Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) Xinbei; Electrical and Microelectronics Contractors: Pfizer Product: Pfizer vaccine and COVID-19 BioNTechProject date: 2021/07
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In mid-July 2021, it became known that Foxconn and TSMC purchased 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the Taiwan government. Foxconn, which manufactures devices for Apple, and chip manufacturer TSMC have brokered agreements to buy the drug Pfizer/BioNTech worth $350 million.
By July 2021, Taiwan has been trying to buy a vaccine from the company for several months BioNTech and accuses China of blocking the deal. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, rejects these accusations. Foxconn founder and chairman, billionaire Terry Gou, also wrote on his Facebook page that Beijing did not interfere in the negotiations.
Under the terms of the agreement, Foxconn and TSMC will buy five million doses of the vaccine each and hand them over to the Taiwan government for distribution. The deal was announced by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese sales representative for BioNTech. Fosun Pharma Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wu Yifang noted that the company "intends to work closely with our partners to provide Taiwan with safe and effective vaccines as soon as possible."
Taiwan's government has faced intense public pressure to accelerate its coronavirus vaccination program. At the beginning of July, only 0.3% of Taiwan's population was fully vaccinated. In June, the government agreed to allow Terry Gow and TSMC to negotiate vaccine deals on his behalf. Vaccines for Taiwan are also trying to purchase a large Taiwanese Buddhist group, the Tzu Chi Foundation. In addition, the US and Japan donated a total of nearly five million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan to help the island speed up its vaccination program.
Taiwan President Tsai Yin-wen said the government intends to vaccinate 25% of the country's population by the end of July, who will receive at least one of the two doses.[1]
