Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is gaining pricing power as AI server demand extends multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) lead times beyond a year. Shortages now span consumer, automotive and industrial products, prompting customers to secure 2027 supplies.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned two electronic devices from entering the US market because both contain surveillance chips made by Huawei's HiSilicon. The move marks the first time the FCC has used a new rule targeting devices whose chipmakers are deemed national security risks.

Rapidus chairman Tetsuro Higashi said the Japanese chipmaker remains broadly on track to begin mass production of 2nm chips in the second half of 2027. Winning customers remains a key challenge, and initial demand is expected to come mainly from the United States, where demand related to artificial intelligence is strong.

China's weakening car market is challenging automakers, parts suppliers, and dealers as exports rise but domestic demand contracts. For global industry watchers, the downturn is a test of electric-vehicle resilience, subsidy dependence, and manufacturing overcapacity. Over time, planned capacity controls and corporate consolidation could reshape competition and supply chains worldwide.

JCET Group lifted third-quarter revenue 13.53% year-over-year to CNY11.43 billion (approx. US$1.71 billion) and net profit attributable to shareholders 59.99% to CNY773 million. For the first nine months of 2026, revenue rose 7.96% to CNY30.95 billion, while net profit climbed 69.58% to CNY1.62 billion. Profit excluding non-recurring gains and losses increased 99.17% to CNY1.56 billion.

Huawei Technologies has secured a seven-year, CNY15 billion (approx. US$2.3 billion) offshore yuan loan from six Chinese banks, as rising research spending and memory costs weigh on its cash flow. The financing, arranged by domestic lenders, is Huawei's first offshore syndicated borrowing since 2020, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Solidigm, the US-based subsidiary established by SK Hynix, has officially halted its review of potential pre-IPO and IPO options.

Apple Inc.'s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale in China on October 23, with limited initial supplies pushing some preorder delivery dates to late January 2027. The launch, just ahead of China's Single's Day shopping season, has become a key indicator for the country's smartphone market.

South Korean robot makers are taking different routes into industrial humanoids: Tesollo is building dexterous hands, AeiROBOT is preparing bipedal systems for shipyards and construction sites, and HD Hyundai Robotics is developing a dual-arm platform that may eventually gain wheels and legs.

LG Electronics is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) footprint on two fronts: in-house appliance chips and GPU compute services. On one hand, the company is scaling up the deployment of custom AI chips in its home appliances to boost product differentiation. On the other hand, PADO, a startup incubated and spun off by LG NOVA (LG's North American Innovation Center), is entering the GPU compute leasing and brokerage market to explore data center opportunities.

Oppo unveiled the international version of its Find X10 smartphone series in Spain on October 22 (Taiwan Standard Time), following the line's China launch in late September. The move marked the company's latest effort to strengthen premium smartphone shipments as competition intensifies and overall demand remains under pressure.

China's Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) has shipped the first unit of its Primo Domingo high-selectivity vapor-phase etching system to a major domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing customer, marking a step forward in China's efforts to develop indigenous equipment for next-generation 3D chips.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly restructuring its semiconductor research operations and performance-based compensation system to accelerate next-generation DRAM and NAND flash development, bringing researchers and production teams closer together while addressing concerns over incentives and talent retention.

Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving penetration in China is forecast to exceed 35% by 2030, supported by falling sensor costs, advances in AI models, and tighter safety regulations. The forecast comes as the country expands autonomous driving trials and prepares for wider commercial deployment.