Samsung Electronics is preparing to build a 2nm- and 4nm-class foundry fab at its Giheung campus in Yongin, South Korea, to expand production of logic base dies used in high-bandwidth memory (HBM). The fab is estimated to cost KRW25 trillion (approx. US$18.6 billion), with the broader project potentially reaching KRW30 trillion if an existing production line is converted into an advanced packaging facility, Seoul Economic Daily reported on November 4.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group's MUFG Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking (SMBC) plan to renew a combined JPY600 billion (approx. US$3.8 billion) in credit facilities for Nidec through November 2027, providing financial support as the Japanese electric motor maker works to restore confidence following an accounting scandal, according to Nikkei Asia.

Global memory supply constraints are creating opportunities for Chinese DRAM maker CXMT to expand its market share. As major international manufacturers prioritise high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM, the tightening supply of mainstream DRAM is allowing CXMT to capitalise on domestic demand and capacity expansion.

Mitsui Chemicals is planning to acquire semiconductor materials maker JSR from state-backed Japan Investment (JIC) in a deal potentially worth more than JPY1.3 trillion (US$8.2 billion), which would rank as the largest acquisition in Japan's chemicals sector, according to reports by Nikkei Asia and Reuters on November 4, 2026.

China's efforts to build a complete domestic chip-design software stack are gathering pace through acquisitions and strategic investments. Empyrean Technology's latest transactions target gaps in verification, placement and routing, and logic optimisation, strengthening its challenge to established electronic design automation (EDA) suppliers.

South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld a KRW18.664 billion (approx. US$13.9 million) fine against Broadcom for pressuring Samsung Electronics into a long-term smartphone component purchasing agreement by disrupting supplies, bringing the US chipmaker's legal challenge to an end.

South Korean company UTI, the second supplier of ultra-thin glass (UTG) cover glass for Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has begun shipments to Samsung Display (SDC), but mass production is running about one quarter behind schedule.

LG Energy Solution expects revenue to keep rising in the fourth quarter while profit dips. On its November 3 earnings call, it told analysts that its North American energy storage system (ESS) business is improving its profitability more slowly than the market expected. Executives also said tighter sourcing rules in the US and Europe are shaping how the battery maker buys materials, chooses customers, and plans its balance sheet.

Chinese commercial launch provider CAS Space launched its Kinetica-2 rocket at 8:15:25am on 3 November from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Experimental Zone, placing 18 Spacesail Constellation satellites into their designated orbit. It was the rocket's first deployment mission for the low-Earth-orbit network, also known as G60 Starlink.

A loophole in US export controls reportedly lets high-bandwidth memory (HBM) made by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reach China's AI chip industry. The loophole shows how much Huawei's next-generation processors still depend on foreign memory, while China's domestic suppliers struggle to close the gap.

Apple's Greater China revenue rose 21% year-over-year to a record US$17.5 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, ended September, while full-year revenue increased 28%, driven by the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series. The results underscore the flagship iPhone's continued competitiveness in China, while rising memory prices threaten to pressure profit margins and growth.

AI data centers are increasing demand for high-speed optical communications, making optoelectronics supply chains increasingly strategic. Marvell's announced acquisition of Lumentum highlights chipmakers' growing integration of optical technologies. Huawei has pursued its own supply-chain strategy through sustained equity investments by Hubble Technology.

DeepSeek plans to use Huawei's Ascend 950 chips as the core training hardware for its next-generation V5 model, potentially extending the companies' partnership from inference to full model training in 2027.

Dutch chipmaker Nexperia is seeking US$2 billion in damages from its Chinese owner Wingtech and three other defendants, alleging they established a competing supply chain in China that disrupted its business.

Screen Holdings is expanding production of semiconductor cleaning equipment with a JPY25 billion (US$157.53 million) site in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, while raising its capex budget for the year ending March 2027 to JPY58 billion (US$367.33 million). The new facility is scheduled to begin operating in January 2028.