China has imposed new export control measures on 40 Japanese entities, placing 20 organizations on its export control list and another 20 on a separate watchlist, citing national security concerns and the need to strengthen oversight of exports of dual-use items.
Chief Telecom Inc. said a June 29 search by prosecutors and investigators over an alleged illegal smuggling case involving high-end AI servers bound for Hong Kong, Macau, and China has not materially affected its finances or operations. The case highlights growing global scrutiny of AI hardware supply chains and data center controls.
Apple's next iPhone Pro lineup could be heading toward one of its sharpest pricing tests in years, as surging memory costs threaten to raise hardware expenses just as the company pushes deeper into on-device AI.
The AI infrastructure order boom is spilling into the second half of 2026, and server supply-chain players are turning increasingly upbeat about demand as Nvidia Vera Rubin, AMD Helios, AWS Trainium 3, and Google TPU all move into mass production.
AI has pushed the global semiconductor industry into a new "super cycle," but the AI boom is also creating distorted demand, tighter capacity, soaring memory prices, and overheated capital spending, according to China Semiconductor Industry Association executive secretary-general Wang Junjie.
Notebook supply chains are preparing for a softer-than-usual 2026 peak season, with shipments expected to ease from the third quarter of 2026 as early replacement buying fades. For global readers, the shift points to higher device costs, slower demand later in the year, and broader pressure across PC and component markets.
Taiwan's optics industry is entering its traditional peak period, with global smartphone demand, Apple's new-device cycle, and rising camera shipments expected to support revenue into late 2026 and beyond for leading suppliers. Firms also see AI-related shifts and new business lines adding to longer-term momentum.
Taiwanese elevator manufacturer Golden Friends (GFC) announced on June 29 that it had secured a major contract to supply high-end elevators for the new headquarters of Kinpo Group. The project is set for completion and revenue recognition in 2028, and will further boost the company's order backlog to nearly NT$10 billion (approx. US$313.8 million), supporting solid operating momentum over the next three years.
Synopsys celebrated the 35th anniversary of its Taiwan operations and the opening of its new Hsinchu office on June 15. During the event, Synopsys CEO Sassine Ghazi sat down with DIGITIMES to discuss how agentic AI is transforming electronic design automation (EDA), semiconductor development, and the future of engineering work.
