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Tuesday 30 December 2025
US reportedly eases chip tool curbs for Samsung, SK Hynix China plants

The US has reportedly adjusted export control procedures for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix operations in China, easing near term operational risks at their semiconductor plants by replacing case-by-case equipment approvals with an annual authorization process, according to industry sources cited by South Korean media

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Tuesday 30 December 2025
Chinese GPU provider Lisuan Technology begins shipping self-developed 7G100 GPU
Chinese GPU developer Lisuan Technology has started shipping its 7G100 GPU, marking a significant step toward commercialization. Reported by Jiemian News, the GPU uses TSMC's 6nm process and is designed for applications such as gaming, smart cockpits, and digital twins
Tuesday 30 December 2025
China's Univista rides domestic EDA surge to push for IPO
Univista Industrial Software Group filed for initial public offering guidance on December 26, seeking capital to support the development of domestic semiconductor design tools in China. The Shanghai-based company submitted its filing to the Shanghai Securities Regulatory Bureau with Guotai Haitong Securities serving as the sponsor, according to a report by Sina Finance
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Commentary: Why China chose multi-accelerator strategy in AI chip development
Facing US restrictions on high-end computing products, China is restructuring its AI chip industry by advancing GPU, TPU, and NPU technologies simultaneously. Domestic firms struggle to match Nvidia's software ecosystem but seek breakthroughs with TPUs for efficiency and NPUs for edge applications
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Analysis: Why TSMC's Kumamoto plant is unlikely to reach 2nm before 2028
TSMC is navigating a complex landscape of export controls and domestic competition as speculation grows around its second Kumamoto factory. The key question: will the Japanese facility produce advanced 2nm chips to fuel the nation's artificial intelligence ambitions
Tuesday 30 December 2025
China's TPU upstarts take aim at US AI chip dominance
Amid ongoing US export restrictions, Chinese company Zhonghao Xinying plans to launch its second-generation self-developed Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chip in 2026. Industry observers predict multiple new Chinese TPU firms will emerge over the next five to 10 years, driven by growing demand for AI inference computing
Tuesday 30 December 2025
SMIC acquires remaining stake in wafer unit for US$5.8 billion
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), China's largest contract chipmaker, said on Monday it will take full control of its SMNC wafer manufacturing unit in a transaction valued at approximately US$5.8 billion
Tuesday 30 December 2025
China to lower 2026 import tariff to boost tech and green economy
China's Ministry of Finance and the Customs Tariff Commission released a 2026 tariff adjustment plan set to take effect on January 1, 2026. The plan revises import provisional tariffs and adjusts tariff classifications. It also continues the application of agreement and preferential rates, covering a total of 8,972 tariff items
Tuesday 30 December 2025
H200 exports to China point to controlled easing in US semiconductor policy
Nvidia has reportedly informed its Chinese customers of its intention to deliver H200 AI chips by mid-February 2026, with shipments targeting 5,000 to 10,000 modules. This volume corresponds to approximately 40,000 to 80,000 H200 chips, signaling a significant step in Nvidia's efforts to supply China without disrupting its global distribution, Reuters reported
Tuesday 30 December 2025
China enforces strict AI controls by tightening grip on training data
China is building tightly controlled AI systems using censored training data, political tests, and content tracking mechanisms, as part of its designation of AI as a key technology for its economy and national defense
Monday 29 December 2025
South Korea expected to reclaim no. 2 in global chip equipment spending by 2026

South Korea is on track to significantly increase semiconductor equipment investment in 2026 as rising demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM drives a new wave of capacity expansion, positioning the country to overtake Taiwan and regain second place globally behind China

Monday 29 December 2025
8-inch foundry price rises take hold as BCD, HV nodes lead
The global 8-inch wafer foundry market has entered a price upcycle. Foundries, including SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor, along with major Taiwanese and South Korean mature-node players, have notified customers that 8-inch foundry prices are set to rise by around 5 to 10% starting in the first quarter of 2026, covering specialty processes such as BCD and high-voltage (HV) platforms
Monday 29 December 2025
Huawei launches global prize to break memory bottlenecks
As generative AI and large language models scale rapidly, the computing race is shifting toward a quieter but decisive battleground: how data is stored, accessed, and utilized. According to Sina and Securities Times, Huawei has launched a global call for solutions through the sixth OlympusMons Awards, which opened on December 26, 2025. With a total prize pool of CNY3 million (US$426,000), the program seeks innovations aimed at overcoming storage and memory bottlenecks in the AI era
Monday 29 December 2025
Wingtech seeks full Nexperia control with US$8 billion arbitration threat
On the afternoon of December 26, 2025, Wingtech Technology convened its fifth extraordinary shareholders' meeting of 2025, sending a resolute signal: the company is prepared not only to regain full control of Nexperia but also to pursue as much as US$8 billion in international arbitration claims
Monday 29 December 2025
Nvidia reportedly sets 4Q26 target for 16-high HBM supply
Nvidia has reportedly asked memory suppliers to prepare for the delivery of 16-high high-bandwidth memory by the second half of 2026, according to industry sources cited by South Korean media, including ET News and eNews Today. The request sets an aggressive timeline for a product that has yet to be commercialized
Monday 29 December 2025
China eases IPO rules for reusable rocket firms to speed space ambitions
China has eased listing requirements for private companies developing reusable commercial rockets, shifting regulatory scrutiny away from short-term financial performance and toward technological milestones, as Beijing steps up efforts to close the gap with the United States in launch capabilities and low-Earth-orbit satellites