In an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, Chinese tech giant Wingtech and its core subsidiary Nexperia are facing several trade barriers.

On October 9, 2025, China's Ministry of Commerce issued Announcements No. 61 and 62, expanding export controls on rare earths. The scope now extends beyond raw materials to include equipment, technology, and assemblies containing rare earth elements. An extraterritorial clause was also introduced, stating that foreign products containing a certain proportion of Chinese-origin rare earths or manufactured using Chinese technology must also apply for export licenses. China emphasized that this clause was intended to improve the regulatory system; in response, the US raised tariffs.

As the US scrambles to rebuild its domestic semiconductor industry, a key Taiwanese supply chain firm, Topco Scientific (TSC), is making a major push into Arizona to bridge the gap for Asian suppliers eager to capitalize on the boom.

Originally rooted in heavy industry, South Korea's Doosan Group is expanding into the semiconductor sector and is considering acquiring semiconductor wafer manufacturer SK Siltron. While Doosan is not directly involved in semiconductor fabrication, it is strategically targeting areas such as materials, back-end processes, and design within the semiconductor industry. This strategy allows it to avoid high technical investment risks while still securing industry influence.

The Institute of Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPM RAS) has recently announced a long-term roadmap for the development of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system. The plan aims to create a Russian-made EUV machine operating at an 11.2nm wavelength.

Taiwan-based Niching Industrial continues its steady growth trajectory in 2025, buoyed by robust demand from AI servers and automotive electronics. The company's heat spreader and IC substrate businesses have become twin pillars driving revenue expansion.

China's development of through glass via (TGV) technology, crucial for advanced semiconductor packaging in AI and high-performance computing chips, encounters significant hurdles, including high process complexity, reliance on imported equipment, cost-yield balance issues, fragmented supply chains, patent barriers dominated by Japan, South Korea, and the US, and long research and development cycles.

China's glass substrate through glass via (TGV) industry has made significant progress, with companies pushing innovations from materials to mass production. Despite challenges in yield and process control, these efforts aim to meet growing AI server and high-performance computing (HPC) chip packaging demands, marking a critical step toward technological self-reliance.

3D Chips introduced its "TGV 3.0" process, successfully overcoming technical challenges of sub-10-micron vias and high aspect ratio filling.

SEMICON West 2025, one of the major semiconductor exhibitions, is being held in Phoenix, Arizona. Topco Scientific is participating alongside fourteen partners from Japan and Taiwan, focusing on semiconductor process materials, equipment, automation systems, and precision components; demonstrating its competitive edge in global supply chain platform integration services.

Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer Allied Circuit (ACCL), a subsidiary of Compal Electronics, has entered a joint venture with Japanese firm Meiko to establish an HLC PCB production line in Vietnam. The plant is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2027, marking a strategic expansion amid capacity constraints at ACCL's Taiwan facilities.

Since early 2025, rising costs of precious metals such as gold and silver have triggered price increase signals in the supply chain for key materials like substrates and leadframes used in the IC packaging industry. Market watchers expect these cost pressures to shift downstream to packaging companies, potentially impacting customer pricing.

Facing continuing growth in precious metal costs, IC packaging lead frame manufacturer Chang Wah Technology has revealed plans to raise prices on its LED lead frames starting January 1, 2026. The company informed customers that shipment order prices for its entire LED lead frame range will increase by 15% to 25%, depending on product type and design specifications.

Due to global tariffs and inflation, the consumer market outlook for the second half of 2025 remains pessimistic. Taiwanese PCB industry players believe that overall industry growth momentum still relies on demand from AI servers and low-orbit satellites.

According to the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA), the PCB manufacturing output value of Taiwanese companies in the second quarter of 2025 reached NT$218.2 billion (US$7.2 billion), a 14.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024; cumulative output value in the first half of 2025 hit NT$423.6 billion, up 13.8% year-over-year, demonstrating strong growth despite the usual off-season.

Upon US President Donald Trump's return to the White House, his chip containment policy has ignited a rare earth export control battle with China, affecting the already imbalanced supply and demand for key AI server materials. US federal government shutdowns have further driven up gold and other precious metals to record highs, testing component makers' ability to manage costs.

Yageo announced on October 3 that it has successfully passed a key milestone in its tender offer for Japan's Shibaura Electronics, securing 50.01% of outstanding shares, or 7,624,200 shares.

Taiwan-based passive components manufacturer Yageo Corporation has completed its public tender offer for power management IC (PMIC) design firm Anpec Electronics. On October 1, 2025, Yageo announced that it had officially incorporated Anpec into its group, after acquiring a significant number of shares in the tender offer.

More and more tech giants have followed TSMC's lead after its announcement of a US$165 billion investment to build more plants in Arizona. A half mountain, half desert state is slowly but surely becoming a new semiconductor hub.

Taiwan's Yageo has successfully crossed the minimum acceptance threshold in its public tender offer to acquire power management IC designer Anpec Electronics, reaching this milestone ahead of schedule. The achievement marks a significant step forward for Yageo's expansion under Pierre Chen's leadership, solidifying its position in the power management segment.

The global race in third-generation semiconductors is intensifying, with larger silicon carbide (SiC) wafers seen as critical to cutting costs and enhancing power device performance. While global leaders remain centered on 6-inch and 8-inch wafers, Chinese firms are rapidly advancing 12-inch SiC development to secure an early lead in the materials race.

China's PCB industry has, in recent years, been entangled in a vicious price war, leading many local PCB manufacturers to collapse under the pressure of internal cutthroat competition. This underlying issue is now spreading upstream to the copper-clad laminate (CCL) supply chain.

Although semiconductor chip tariffs have yet to be finalized, with exchange rates stabilizing and strong pull-in momentum from major smartphone and AI chip clients, TSMC's third quarter 2025 revenue in USD is expected to surpass its financial forecast. Based on a full-year US$ revenue growth estimate of 30%, fourth quarter 2025 revenue is projected to decline by around 10%.

Compal Electronics' PCB subsidiary, Allied Circuit Co., Ltd. (ACCL), has announced a joint venture with Japan's Meiko to establish a high-layer count (HLC) printed circuit board plant in Vietnam. The new entity, tentatively named AlliedCircuitMeikoVietnam, will set up operations within Meiko's new factory complex in Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam.

Networking and server PCB giant GCE announced plans to expand its Thailand facility with a US$40 million investment to boost ASIC server production capacity by the second half of 2026. This move comes as ASIC server customer orders ramp up, pushing Taiwan and China plants to full capacity and driving strong revenue growth expected in the third quarter of 2025.