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Monday 30 March 2026
Commentary: US chip security act ends China's special AI chip supply
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed the Chip Security Act, signaling a decisive move to restrict high-performance computing exports amid rising tech tensions with China. Meanwhile, reports from within China indicate a growing consensus to halt imports of US-origin AI chips altogether
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Monday 30 March 2026
China's chip equipment and supply chain scale up on AI demand, look overseas
SEMICON China 2026 opened in Shanghai, highlighting how AI demand is reshaping the global semiconductor industry and accelerating China's domestic supply chain
Monday 30 March 2026
Microloops expands liquid cooling capacity in China and Vietnam to meet rising demand
Cooling module manufacturer Microloops announced plans to expand its liquid cooling plate production capacity in Vietnam and China to address growing demand for liquid cooling solutions. Currently, Microloops' monthly liquid cooling plate output in China stands at 5,000 units, but by 2026, combined capacity across both locations is expected to reach 40,000 units, reflecting the rapid adoption of server liquid cooling technology
Monday 30 March 2026
China builds open RISC-V chip platform with Xiangshan, Ruyi OS
China's Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) launched next-generation chip and operating system co-development alongside the debut of the Xiangshan open-source processor and Ruyi native OS at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum
Monday 30 March 2026
Samsung reportedly shifts Xi'an plant to 236-layer NAND

Samsung Electronics has reportedly begun mass production of 236-layer NAND flash at its Xi'an plant in China, marking a key step in its transition to higher-layer memory as demand from artificial intelligence applications accelerates

Monday 30 March 2026
China's semiconductor capacity share to reach 32% by 2030
The global semiconductor industry is undergoing a structural transformation. SEMI estimates that in 2025, capital expenditures (CapEx) by the four largest US cloud service providers (CSPs) will reach US$400 billion, more than twice the total semiconductor industry CapEx. When including Chinese cloud providers and sovereign AI investments, global AI infrastructure spending could surpass US$1 trillion by 2027
Monday 30 March 2026
Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices amid memory costs spike
Sony Group's gaming subsidiary, Sony Interactive Entertainment, announced on March 27 that it would raise the global retail price of its flagship home console, the PlayStation 5, effective April 2. In Japan, the suggested retail price of the standard model will climb to JPY97,980 (approx. US$613), a steep increase of roughly 23%. A Japan-only version, introduced in 2025 without a disc drive and limited to the Japanese language, will remain unchanged at JPY55,000
Monday 30 March 2026
AI-driven memory market set to top US$600 billion on rising storage demand
The global semiconductor memory market is expected to surpass US$600 billion by 2026, as artificial intelligence accelerates a shift toward high-performance storage, according to industry executives
Monday 30 March 2026
SEMICON China 2026: JCET CEO makes the case for atomic-level packaging to carry Moore's Law forward
Advanced wafer manufacturing is approaching physical limits near the 1nm node, according to Zheng Li, director and CEO of JCET Group
Monday 30 March 2026
China launches probe into US green product trade barriers
China's Ministry of Commerce has launched an investigation into what it describes as US trade barriers affecting green products, citing domestic trade law provisions that allow authorities to examine restrictive measures imposed by other countries
Monday 30 March 2026
Weekly news roundup: AI, supply chains, new entrants intensify global chip race
Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 23-27, 2026
Monday 30 March 2026
NeurIPS rule barring OFAC-listed institutions raises global collaboration concerns
NeurIPS' new rule barring institutions on the US Treasury Department's OFAC entity list from submitting papers, reviewing, or editing risks fracturing global AI collaboration, excluding major Chinese companies, and prompting academic backlash that could reshape cross-border research ties, the composition of leading AI conferences, and the governance of global science
Monday 30 March 2026
AI compression won't ease memory crunch, NAND shortage set to persist
AI-driven demand is tightening global memory supply, pushing NAND flash and server DRAM into shortages, price hikes, and capacity constraints. Server memory demand is expected to grow more than 40% in 2026, accounting for over half of total storage usage
Monday 30 March 2026
China foundry SMIC moves to capture growth beyond AI-led supply squeeze

SMIC on March 26 outlined an action plan to strengthen core operations and identify new growth drivers in 2026, targeting revenue growth above the industry average as it reinforces its role in China's semiconductor self-sufficiency strategy

Monday 30 March 2026
SMIC accused of supplying chipmaking tools to Iran military, US officials say
SMIC, China's largest chipmaker, is accused by senior Trump administration officials of supplying chipmaking equipment to Iran's military, escalating tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Tehran
Sunday 29 March 2026
Samsung's 2026 strike poses bigger challenges despite economic shift and tripled scale
Samsung Electronics is facing a looming labor strike in May as its memory and foundry businesses take off, marking a more complex challenge than the initial 2024 walkout. The upcoming strike reflects significant changes in industry conditions and union size, highlighting Samsung's structural difficulties with labor issues amid evolving laws and its broad business portfolio