Nvidia and TSMC produce the first Blackwell wafer made in the U.S. — chips still need to be shipped back to Taiwan to complete the final product

Nvidia and TSMC on Friday announced they had reached a significant milestone with the manufacturing of the first production Blackwell wafer at Fab 21 near Phoenix, Arizona. The achievement of making one of the most complex chips in history in the U.S. has strategic, symbolic, and political importance for both companies, but there is a major catch.

“This is a historic moment for several reasons,” said Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, at the commemorative event. “It is the very first time in…