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Thursday 3 July 2025
US unleashes Section 232 tariffs, global trade talks in disarray
With the July 9, 2025, deadline for new tariffs fast approaching, trade talks between the US and key partners like Japan, India, and France are showing signs of strain. At the heart of the deadlock lies Washington's increasingly aggressive use of Section 232 tariffs, a tool with far greater bite than traditional reciprocal duties
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Friday 4 July 2025
Renesas ditches SiC to focus on MCU, GaN products for AI sector
Japanese semiconductor firm Renesas has halted mass production of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and will now launch new products including microcontroller units (MCU) for the edge AI and AIoT markets, and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors for AI data centers, as the company restructures its business focus
Friday 4 July 2025
Intel's new AI accelerator may adopt HBM4? SK Hynix stresses no confirmed details
Intel recently held its AI Summit in South Korea, sharing the latest trends in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and innovative applications across various industries. The event also explored future AI development directions and cross-industry collaboration strategies. Among the highlights, cooperation between SK Hynix and Intel on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for next-generation AI accelerators attracted significant attention
Friday 4 July 2025
South Korea cuts reliance on Japanese chip materials, but faces hurdles in advanced technologies
In the high-stakes world of semiconductors, materials are everything. In South Korea, the issue became a national priority after a 2019 trade dispute with Japan sent shockwaves through its tech sector. In a tit-for-tat diplomatic standoff, Tokyo slapped export restrictions on critical chipmaking materials—photoresists, hydrogen fluoride, and polyimide. With Japanese firms controlling more than 90% of the global supply, the move threatened to derail South Korea's chip production and exposed its deep dependence on foreign suppliers
Friday 4 July 2025
China-India rivalry forces Foxconn to rethink manpower strategy
As 2025 begins under President Donald Trump's second term, rising trade tensions and tariffs are pushing regionalized manufacturing. In this context, Foxconn is reportedly recalling Chinese engineers from its Indian operations, highlighting the complex China-India dynamics shaping global industry
Thursday 3 July 2025
Samsung completes development of 1c DRAM, paving way for HBM4 rollout

Samsung Electronics has successfully developed its sixth-generation DRAM, known as 1c DRAM, built using a 10nm class process. The product has received internal Production Readiness Approval (PRA), signaling it has met key quality and performance benchmarks and is now in the final phase before mass production. The milestone brings Samsung one step closer to its goal of mass-producing HBM4, or fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory, in the second half of 2025

Thursday 3 July 2025
Details of the US-China trade agreement remain unclear, with no consensus on rare earths and chip controls
On June 26, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that the US had signed a trade agreement with China on June 25, which was also confirmed by China's Ministry of Commerce. From the talks in Geneva on May 11 to negotiations in London on June 10, followed by Trump's recent announcement, what exactly have the two countries agreed upon
Thursday 3 July 2025
China rare earth curbs put US in chokehold

Rare earth elements—critical to electric vehicles, defense systems, and advanced electronics—are once again at the center of geopolitical tensions. China, which controls more than 90 percent of the world's rare earth refining and processing capacity, continues to wield outsized influence over global supply

Thursday 3 July 2025
Samsung to restart P5 fab construction after two years as AI semiconductor grows
After a two-year hiatus, Samsung Electronics is reportedly set to resume construction of its advanced semiconductor production facility, the P5 fab, located in Pyeongtaek. With continuous improvements in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation DRAM technologies, alongside strong market growth expectations for AI semiconductors over the coming years, Samsung is preparing to launch a new round of equipment investment in South Korea
Thursday 3 July 2025
Chips for rare earths: An uneven US-China trade gambit
Since the onset of the US-China tech war, both sides have engaged in multifaceted struggles over strategic industries such as semiconductors, AI, and critical resources
Thursday 3 July 2025
China's EV leaders switch gears from horsepower to chip power
As global automakers advance deeper into electrification and intelligent mobility, China's top EV brands—BYD, Nio, and Xiaomi—are fast-tracking the development of self-designed chips. The push reflects a broader transition from dependence on foreign semiconductor suppliers to fully integrated hardware-software platforms, with significant implications for the global EV value chain
Thursday 3 July 2025
US lifts EDA tool curbs as part of new China deal
The Trump administration has lfited at least some export license requirements for chip design software sales in China, as Washington and Beijing implement a trade deal designed to see both countries ease flows of critical technologies
Thursday 3 July 2025
Nio spins off chip division with new 5nm auto SoC under volume production
China's first-tier electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio has taken a significant step forward in its chip self-sufficiency strategy, announcing that its chip division has officially spun off from the parent company to form a new entity, Anhui Shenji Technology. The spin-off has completed mass production and large-scale vehicle integration of its first self-developed automotive-grade 5nm smart driving chip, the Shenji NX9031, marking a new phase from chip development to commercial application
Thursday 3 July 2025
ByteDance expands AI hiring spree into humanoid robotics
ByteDance is recruiting heavily for humanoid robot development as the TikTok parent accelerates its push beyond social media into cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) applications
Thursday 3 July 2025
Problematic IVI systems draw most complaints from car owners
In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems are a key feature of smart cockpits and the driving technology experience, but their high failure rates and quality issues have become a major problem for car manufacturers
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Towa expands South Korea presence as AI spurs demand for HBM packaging tools
Japanese semiconductor equipment maker Towa Corporation, a global leader in advanced packaging systems, recently unveiled its newest technology for sixth-generation HBM4, aiming squarely at the surging demand from generative AI and high-performance computing markets