As electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies spread rapidly, and as automotive electrical and electronic (E/E) architectures grow more centralized, the value of semiconductors embedded in each vehicle is rising sharply. According to an analysis by DIGITIMES, the average semiconductor content per car is expected to increase from about US$759 in 2024 to US$1,332 by 2030

After months of trade negotiations, Taiwan and the US have finalized a reciprocal tariff agreement that lowers rates to 15% without stacking most-favored-nation (MFN) tariffs. The deal grants semiconductor products under Section 232 preferential treatment, expands supply chain investment cooperation, and establishes a credit guarantee fund totaling US$500 billion

The US and Taiwan have formally concluded a tariff agreement that sets a 15% rate on covered goods, alongside a sweeping package of Taiwanese commitments aimed at deepening ties with the American semiconductor industry. Under the deal, Taiwan will make US$250 billion in direct investment in US semiconductor manufacturing, while its government will provide an additional US$250 billion in credit guarantees

In August 2024, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finalized three Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards, known as FIPS 203, 204, and 205. These standards incorporate ML-KEM algorithms for key exchange and encryption, along with ML-DSA and SLH-DSA algorithms for digital signatures. Industry leaders are actively integrating these algorithms into web browsers, operating systems, and hardware products to prepare defenses against anticipated quantum-computer-enabled cyberattacks

On December 10, 2025, Qualcomm Inc. disclosed its acquisition of Ventana Micro Systems in the US without revealing the deal's financial terms or completion date. The company highlighted that the move would reinforce its global leadership in the RISC-V ecosystem and improve its CPU development capabilities, complementing its existing Oryon custom CPU team

TSMC announced plans in 2020 to establish an advanced wafer fab in the US, marking a major shift toward significant US investments. Initially seen as a political necessity, TSMC's US expansion has evolved over five years into a long-term commitment exceeding US$165 billion, supporting American manufacturing ambitions

DIGITIMES has recently published three latest research reports regarding Qualcomm's cloud AI ASIC business strategy for 2026, the status of the worldwide top-3 memory makers, plus the latest trends of the memory industry, and an update to DIGITIMES' estimate of global smartphone shipments in 2026 as a result of ongoing price hikes of memory

If today's AI data centers are blazing "powder kegs" of heat, IBM was the visionary that prepared the "fire extinguisher" half a century ago. While Nvidia's top chips now require water cooling to operate, few realize that this technology's "biological father" actually dates back to IBM in the 1960s. Today, we explore this groundbreaking US patent 3,524,497 ("Patent 497") and its blue-cooling revolution spanning over 50 years

For years, smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) headsets were among the most visible attractions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), peaking in 2025 when they dominated the exhibition floor. At CES 2026, their presence was noticeably reduced. This does not point to an industry slowdown. Rather, it signals the sector's exit from the "concept phase" and its entry into a market defined by price competition and practical commercialisation

At the opening of his keynote, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a stark message: the world's US$10 trillion computing infrastructure is entering a fundamental modernization phase, driven by two platform shifts unfolding in parallel

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with eight other government departments, has released the plan for "AI + Manufacturing." While framed as an industrial upgrade policy, it functions in practice as a strategically significant AI roadmap

China has intensified pressure on Japan's supply chains. Following curbs on dual-use items and rare earth exports, the Ministry of Commerce has launched an anti-dumping probe into Japanese-origin dichlorosilane (DCS)

China's Ministry of Commerce said on January 7, 2026, that it has launched an anti-dumping investigation into Japanese-origin dichlorosilane (DCS). While framed as a routine trade-remedy case under existing rules, the decision reflects a more specific reality in the semiconductor materials supply chain: China now has domestic fallback capacity in this critical process material, allowing policymakers to act selectively at a sensitive juncture

Recent supply-chain signals suggest that OpenAI has shifted hardware orders from Luxshare to Foxconn, a move widely interpreted as preparation for highly interactive, portable AI devices. While specifications remain undisclosed, industry sources believe the products will emphasize real-time interaction tightly coupled with cloud-based AI, pointing to a new class of always-connected endpoints rather than conventional consumer electronics

The US AI sector stands at a crossroads. After years of breakneck infrastructure expansion, cracks are beginning to show in the financial foundation supporting this boom