CONNECT WITH US
Thursday 11 December 2025
EU court cuts Intel antitrust fine to about EUR237 million
Intel has secured a reduction of nearly EUR140 million (approx. US$163.7 million) in its remaining EU antitrust penalty, though the bloc's second-highest court upheld the finding that the company abused its dominance in the x86 processor market, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.
Thursday 11 December 2025
MediaTek reports November revenue decline but maintains positive annual growth outlook
Taiwanese IC design company MediaTek announced its revenue for November 2025 at NT$46.896 billion (approx. US$1.51 billion), reflecting a 9.86% decrease from October but a 3.65% increase compared to November 2024. The fourth-quarter total reached NT$98.922 billion, narrowly missing the company's previously forecasted low-end target by about NT$4.3 billion.
Thursday 11 December 2025
SK Hynix reaps largest benefits from H200 export approval
US President Donald Trump has allowed Nvidia's H200 chips to be exported to China, benefiting Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. iNews24 and IT Chosun reported that with the high likelihood that Chinese AI companies will see increased chip demand, the US easing of restrictions is expected to boost H200 shipments. SK Hynix is reportedly the primary supplier of the fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3E) used in the H200, meaning its supply volume will inevitably rise, making it the biggest beneficiary.
Thursday 11 December 2025
Qualcomm acquires Ventana Micro Systems to strengthen RISC-V CPU capabilities
Qualcomm has acquired Ventana Micro Systems Inc., a move aimed at bolstering its capabilities in the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) and custom CPU development. The acquisition integrates Ventana's expertise in RISC-V design into Qualcomm's ongoing efforts on its Oryon CPU technology.
Thursday 11 December 2025
Ta Liang PCB and advanced packaging orders surge, equipment lead times hit 6 months
PCB and semiconductor equipment manufacturer Ta Liang Technology reported a surge in orders as AI chip and AI server demand solidifies. Customers have been investing to expand capacity, driving demand for high-end CCD back-drilling machines, semiconductor advanced packaging measurement, and automated optical inspection (AOI) equipment to increase in 2025. This pushed cumulative revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 beyond the total for 2024, setting a record.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Realtek posts first sub-US$288 million month of 2025, eyes recovery in early 2026

Realtek Semiconductor reported November 2025 revenue of NT$8.882 billion (approx. US$284.5 million), down 1.9% from October but up 1.8% year-over-year, marking the first month in 2025 in which revenue slipped below NT$9 billion (approx. US$288 million).

Wednesday 10 December 2025
Huawei's chip breakthrough prompts US to relax AI export controls
Recent reports suggest one big reason US President Donald Trump has allowed exports of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China is Huawei's rapid rise in AI computing. Bloomberg cites multiple sources, stating that after White House officials reviewed Huawei's Ascend series chips and its CloudMatrix 384 AI-native cloud infrastructure platform, they concluded that Huawei's overall performance is now approaching Nvidia's advanced Blackwell-based NVL72 platform. This significantly reduces the need for a total ban on AI chip exports to China.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Nvidia H200 clearance paves the way for HBM3E in China
The Trump administration has authorized exports of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence processors to China, a decision that analysts view as a partial concession allowing restricted chip sales while still blocking Chinese access to Nvidia's upcoming Blackwell line.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Google TPU gains test Nvidia's lead, but the GPU ecosystem still rules
Google's latest TPU gains have rattled the AI hardware market, but IC distributors maintain that Nvidia's GPU-led ecosystem still sets the benchmark for modern AI compute. TPUs may edge out GPUs in some LLM workloads, yet Nvidia's end-to-end stack, from CUDA to silicon to systems, keeps its lead firmly intact, reinforced further by the Jetson Thor platform for edge AI.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Nvidia trials chip-tracking tech amid US bust of US$160M GPU smuggling ring

Nvidia has developed technology to verify the physical location of its artificial intelligence chips, according to a Reuters report, as US authorities simultaneously dismantled a China-linked network accused of smuggling more than US$160 million worth of GPUs to restricted markets, CNBC reported, citing newly unsealed court documents and a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Wednesday 10 December 2025
Budget stall threatens Taiwan's 2026 semiconductor and tech R&D agenda
Taiwan's 2026 central government budget has stalled in the Legislative Yuan amid partisan gridlock and the ruling party's loss of a parliamentary majority, raising concerns over funding for the nation's most critical science and technology programs. Premier Jung-tai Cho urged lawmakers to accelerate the budget review, warning that prolonged delays could disrupt major R&D subsidies, semiconductor
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Arlitech targets cloud servers and high-end gaming cards to mitigate panel price pressure
Competitive pricing from the "red supply chain" has taken a toll on the panel market. In response, Arlitech Electronic Corporation stated that it is transforming its sales structure. Benefiting from its two major product lines—protection & energy storage components and semiconductors—revenue contributions from networking and consumer electronics have grown significantly, turning operations from a loss to profit in the third quarter of 2025. The company is optimistic about 2026 revenue growth.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
US allows Nvidia H200 chip exports to China, but Beijing may impose restrictions
Despite US President Donald Trump's decision to permit the export of Nvidia Corporation's advanced H200 chips to China, reports indicate that Beijing might enforce limitations on their use as part of China's ongoing strategy to boost domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency. Chinese authorities remain cautious while evaluating how these imports fit within national technology goals.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Taiwan leverages semiconductor edge to build full quantum ecosystem
Taiwan is moving to cement its position in the emerging global quantum technology supply chain, with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) outlining a strategy to build a full ecosystem—from components to systems and applications—powered by the nation's semiconductor and ICT strengths.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
US clears Nvidia H200 shipments, challenging China's tech ambitions
Washington's decision to authorize Nvidia H200 chip exports to China has triggered a strategic debate within Beijing's technology sector. Chinese companies must now balance immediate infrastructure performance against the national mandate for semiconductor self-sufficiency. Analysts suggest the move tests China's resolve to build an independent supply chain while simultaneously allowing the US to clear aging inventory.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
H200 returns to China's market, but local chipmakers have already built resilience
US President Donald Trump has announced that Nvidia's H200 will be allowed to return to the Chinese market after Jensen Huang's lobbying efforts. Nvidia is expected to resume securing revenue from China.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Analysis: US eases Nvidia chip ban, marking pivot in China tech strategy
The US government's decision to ease restrictions on exporting Nvidia's H200 AI chip to China marks a significant victory for one of the world's most influential computing companies. It also signals a subtle but unmistakable shift in Washington's China tech strategy—from a rigid, across-the-board blockade to a more transactional, negotiable system of conditional controls.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Novatek turns to ASIC as weak device demand drags November revenue
Novatek posted NT$7.618 billion (US$244 million) in November 2025 revenue, a drop of 3.3% month on month and 7.23% year over year. Revenue for the first eleven months of 2025 came to NT$93.343 billion, slipping 0.97% from a year earlier.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Taiwan chipmakers shift to non-consumer AI markets as cloud AI outpaces edge
Due to the lack of a significant surge in edge AI demand in 2025 and China's push for chip localization, Taiwan-based IC design houses are increasingly losing ground in global competition. Research institutions predict that by 2026, Taiwanese IC designers may cede their second-place revenue position to Chinese firms.
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Taiwan signals openness to US chip targets on condition of support
As 2025 nears its end, negotiations over the US Section 232 tariffs closely tied to Taiwan's semiconductor and ICT exports remain unresolved. The US government's expectation of a "50-50 chip split" has yet to receive a commitment from Taiwan. However, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te recently sent a positive message in an interview with US media, stating that Taiwan is willing to assist the US in chip production, and that if the US provides policy support, achieving the "50-50 chip split" goal is possible. This marks a significant shift in the government's stance toward US expectations based on mutual benefits.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
China's Moore Threads sets developer conference to launch new GPU and escalate Nvidia challenge
After US President Donald Trump approved Nvidia's H200 exports to China on 9 December, domestic GPU start-up Moore Threads responded with rapid action.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Samsung's Exynos 2600 debut in Galaxy S26 may be Korea-only
Samsung Electronics will debut its new 2nm Exynos 2600 processor in the Galaxy S26 series, but deployment may be largely limited to South Korea. Contractual ties with Qualcomm, production yield challenges, and consumer perceptions of Exynos performance could restrict the chip's broader adoption, potentially affecting Samsung's control over its flagship device supply chain.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Apple Silicon chief stays amid wave of leadership departures
In the wake of multiple high-profile resignations at Apple, Johny Srouji, the company's senior vice president of hardware technologies responsible for its in-house chip development, has reassured staff that he plans to stay with the firm for the foreseeable future. His statement came after reports suggested he was considering leaving.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Commentary: Are East Asia tensions a threat to supply chains?
The Indo-Pacific region has become the world's most critical theater for both technology manufacturing and geopolitical competition. As military tensions escalate across East Asia, executives are increasingly questioning whether their supply chains can withstand potential disruptions.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
China's AI chip race nears US$275bn; Cambricon, Hygon lead the field
Baidu is considering a spin-off and listing of its AI chip unit Kunlunxin, a development that has quickly become a focal point in China's fast-moving GPU and AI semiconductor market. The company said it is evaluating the potential listing but noted any move would require regulatory clearance and is not guaranteed.