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Thursday 11 December 2025
China's steel engine loses steam, rewrites the iron ore trade map

China's slowdown, marked by weak consumption, a deep property slump, deflationary pressure, and softer investment, is weighing on steel production. The IMF expects GDP growth to ease to 4.8% in 2025 and 4.2% in 2026. With domestic ore mining falling, steelmakers are turning to cheaper imported low-grade ore that requires higher volumes to produce equivalent output. Taiwanese dry-bulk carriers say this substitution is lifting tonne-mile demand

Thursday 11 December 2025
South Korea targets new fabs, HBM leadership, fabless revamp in US$468bn chip push
South Korea has unveiled an expansive semiconductor strategy to secure its lead in next-generation memory and revive weaker segments such as logic chips and the domestic fabless sector. President Lee Jae-myung chaired a high-level government meeting with Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and policymakers, underscoring the urgency of reinforcing national competitiveness as global demand for AI semiconductors surges
Thursday 11 December 2025
China weighs Nvidia's H200 amid US export shift and supply constraints
The US government's decision to allow Nvidia to export its H200 AI chips to China has reopened a major channel for American semiconductor revenue, but whether Beijing will embrace the opportunity remains uncertain. In December 2025, President Donald Trump announced that the US would approve sales of Nvidia's H200 to select Chinese customers under a strict licensing system, with a 25% revenue levy imposed on transactions
Thursday 11 December 2025
Wingtech seeks talks with Nexperia custodians as governance standoff deepens
Wingtech Technology has invited the court-appointed custodians of Nexperia for talks, marking the latest move in a protracted governance battle that has disrupted semiconductor supplies to global automakers
Thursday 11 December 2025
Samsung's Trifold phone launch in China to challenge Huawei dominance
Samsung Electronics is set to introduce its triple-fold Galaxy Z TriFold in China, aiming to capture a larger share of the premium foldable phone market despite currently holding about 2% market share in the country. The move targets high-end consumers willing to pay above CNY20,000 (US$2,827.89)
Thursday 11 December 2025
China's tech push reshapes Taiwan's auto supply chain
The global automotive supply chain is experiencing significant restructuring as the divide between China and other major economies widens. China's intensified efforts to achieve full self-sufficiency in both hardware and software for automotive technology are imposing a new technological barrier that challenges Taiwan's position, particularly in integrated circuit (IC) chip and smart algorithm supply
Thursday 11 December 2025
Commentary: China's PCB edge survives G2 decoupling
As the US–China tech confrontation drags on, discussions consistently return to chips, semiconductors, rare earths, and tariffs. Despite accelerating supply-chain decoupling and overseas clients pushing for "Out-of-China" capacity, China remains the world's largest PCB manufacturing base and has fully captured both the volume and value gains from the AI server cycle. The country continues to demonstrate cost and efficiency advantages over production in Taiwan and Southeast Asia
Thursday 11 December 2025
Commentary: China's tech M&A unravels from EDA to compute
China's tech capital markets have slipped into a drawn-out, messy stretch, with multiple high-profile mergers either collapsing or failing to advance beyond early talks
Thursday 11 December 2025
SK Hynix reaps largest benefits from H200 export approval
US President Donald Trump has allowed Nvidia's H200 chips to be exported to China, benefiting Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. iNews24 and IT Chosun reported that with the high likelihood that Chinese AI companies will see increased chip demand, the US easing of restrictions is expected to boost H200 shipments. SK Hynix is reportedly the primary supplier of the fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3E) used in the H200, meaning its supply volume will inevitably rise, making it the biggest beneficiary
Thursday 11 December 2025
Synopsys confronts a split China market as it pivots to next-gen IP and Nvidia-led AI design
Synopsys is confronting intensified geopolitical and competitive pressure in China while affirming its long-term IP roadmap and deepening ties with Nvidia. The company outlined how US–China tensions, regulatory barriers and execution challenges are weighing on growth, even as it accelerates a strategic pivot toward physics-driven AI design with strong external support
Thursday 11 December 2025
US reportedly reviews TSMC-made Nvidia H200 shipments, weighs 25% duty
US regulators have introduced a new inspection protocol for Nvidia's H200 accelerators destined for China, requiring chips manufactured by TSMC to be shipped to the US for national security review before they can be re-exported. The unusual routing underscores Washington's effort to maintain visibility over advanced computing hardware as global memory shortages threaten to slow new data center deployments through 2027
Thursday 11 December 2025
Canon and DNP push 1.4nm nanoimprint tech, target 2027 production
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) said it has developed a nanoimprint template capable of producing 1.4nm chips using only one-tenth of the power required by extreme ultraviolet lithography tools
Thursday 11 December 2025
ASML faces scrutiny after report ties customers to China's military suppliers
A Dutch television investigation has raised fresh questions about the reach of ASML's technology inside China. According to a December 9, 2025, report by Nieuwsuur, at least one of ASML's customers is linked to the Chinese military
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Huawei's chip breakthrough prompts US to relax AI export controls
Recent reports suggest one big reason US President Donald Trump has allowed exports of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China is Huawei's rapid rise in AI computing. Bloomberg cites multiple sources, stating that after White House officials reviewed Huawei's Ascend series chips and its CloudMatrix 384 AI-native cloud infrastructure platform, they concluded that Huawei's overall performance is now approaching Nvidia's advanced Blackwell-based NVL72 platform. This significantly reduces the need for a total ban on AI chip exports to China
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Nvidia H200 clearance paves the way for HBM3E in China
The Trump administration has authorized exports of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence processors to China, a decision that analysts view as a partial concession allowing restricted chip sales while still blocking Chinese access to Nvidia's upcoming Blackwell line