Micron May Build Plant In Ireland

The largest stockholder in Boise-based Micron Technology Inc. says the computer chip maker intends to build a new assembly plant in Ireland.

J.R. Simplot, whose more than 40 million shares of Micron stock are worth $3 billion, said the overseas plant is needed “because we’re going to sell a lot of chips there.

“We’re big in the European market on memory,” Simplot said.

He indicated the plant would only assembly the dynamic random-access memory chips from the silicon wafers. The Micron board has apparently shelved a plant to manufacture the entire chip overseas.

Simplot said the Ireland assembly plant would give Micron a break from the 15 percent tariff it now pays to sell its U.S.-made chips in Europe.