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Tuesday 6 May 2025
BYD scores big in European PHEV market
The EU's anti-dumping duties on battery electric vehicles (BEV) imported from China are reshaping the European car market, accelerating the penetration of Chinese plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Japanese companies significantly boost investment in India following 'Make in India' and PLI schemes
According to a report by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, the number of Japanese companies investing in India has shown significant growth over the past decade, particularly following key government initiatives aimed at boosting local manufacturing
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Mining influence: Taiwan's critical moves in the global rare earth chess game
As the Ukraine-Russo war reaches a stalemate in peace talks, the United States is actively promoting agreements on rare earth elements (REEs) with Ukraine. This move underscores the critical importance of these elements in global geopolitics and technological competition. This article analyzes the strategic value of Rare earth elements (REEs), the context of the China-US rivalry, and Taiwan's strategies for addressing these challenges
Tuesday 6 May 2025
AMD reportedly walks away from Samsung's SF4X deal, escalating foundry pressure on latter
Samsung Electronics is under intensifying pressure in its foundry business following reports that AMD has abandoned plans to adopt its advanced 4nm process, SF4X. The decision marks another setback for Samsung, already grappling with low 3nm yields and weakening demand for older process nodes
Tuesday 6 May 2025
SK Hynix-Hanmi Semiconductor dispute escalates, Hanwha Semitech poised to gain
A brewing conflict between SK Hynix and its long-time supplier, Hanmi Semiconductor, over thermal compression bonder (TC Bonder; TCB) equipment has intensified, potentially reshuffling the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chain. Hanwha Semitech, a newer player, stands to benefit as SK Hynix explores alternative suppliers amid rising tensions
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Chinese CIS vendors close gap as local fabs go full throttle, Xiaomi backs innovation
Following SK Hynix's exit from the CMOS image sensor (CIS) market, Chinese vendors are aggressively scaling shipments, gaining market share, and climbing the value chain by deepening ties with domestic smartphone brands. Armed with robust domestic foundry capacity across 40nm to 28/22nm nodes, these suppliers are now pushing into high-end CIS segments with ample supply and rising demand
Tuesday 6 May 2025
From Biden's carrots to Trump's sticks: Chinese solar giants adapt to new US playbook
The administration of US President Donald Trump has implemented exceptionally high anti-dumping tariffs on solar modules imported from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Most notably, Cambodia faces tariffs as high as 3,521% due to its lack of cooperation during investigations. This action reflects the administration's firm approach to combating "origin-washing," a practice where manufacturers reroute products through third countries to circumvent US trade restrictions. Market experts indicate that tariffs above 60% typically disrupt bilateral trade, and rates exceeding 3,500% effectively result in an almost complete halt of imports from the affected countries
Tuesday 6 May 2025
China chokes rare earth supply—prices triple, global supply chains rattle
China's decision to tighten export controls on seven rare earth elements has sent global prices soaring more than threefold since early April, raising alarms across critical industries, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Former Samsung employee indicted in DRAM leak case aiding CXMT
South Korean prosecutors recently announced the indictment and detention of a former Samsung Electronics researcher suspected of leaking core semiconductor technology secrets, developed with an investment of KRW1.6 trillion (US$1.1 billion), to China's leading DRAM manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Samsung may have suffered revenue losses amounting to tens of trillions of Korean won due to this security breach
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Samsung DS chief rushes to Silicon Valley to secure AI memory and foundry orders
YoungHyun Jun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division, recently led a senior executive delegation to Silicon Valley, foregoing South Korea's extended May holidays. The week-long trip focused on meetings with major US tech firms—including Apple, Nvidia, and Broadcom—to shore up demand across Samsung's semiconductor portfolio, from DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to foundry services. US tariff policy was also a key topic on the agenda
Monday 5 May 2025
LG Display pioneers blue phosphorescent OLED, achieves world-first product validation
LG Display (LGD) has become the first company worldwide to achieve product validation for a blue phosphorescent OLED panel, advancing a long-elusive milestone in the development of the so-called "dream OLED.
Monday 5 May 2025
Huawei reportedly erects three advanced chip fabs in Shenzhen to sidestep foreign tech
Facing escalating US sanctions and export bans, Huawei is reportedly building three semiconductor fabs in Shenzhen's Guanlan district to localize its supply chain for advanced AI chips. The facilities are expected to anchor Huawei's in-house production of Kirin smartphone processors and Ascend AI accelerators
Monday 5 May 2025
iPhone sales in China falter: headwinds on four fronts
Apple reported iPhone sales revenue of US$46.8 billion for the first quarter of 2025, representing a 1.9% increase compared to the same period last year, according to its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 (2Q25, covering January to March), released on May 2. However, growing market concerns indicate a potential continuous slowdown in iPhone sales in China, which could significantly impact Apple's overall operational performance
Monday 5 May 2025
China's 28nm foundry capacity to hit 31% by 2027 as SMIC, HLMC, Nexchip ramp up

China is rapidly expanding mature-node chip production at key sites, including SMIC's fabs in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai Lingang, and Xiqing; Hua Hong Semiconductor's phase-two 12-inch fab in Wuxi; Nexchip Semiconductor's N3 facility; and the second-phase 12-inch project by Beijing Yandong Micro Electronic. With these ongoing investments, analysts estimate China's global share of 28nm capacity could exceed 31% by 2027

Monday 5 May 2025
Taiwan's Coretronic disrupts drone market, outflanks DJI with non-red supply chain edge
Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC), a subsidiary of Taiwan's Coretronic Group, is carving a niche in the global drone market, capitalizing on its non-red supply chain status to secure a competitive edge over the Chinese giant DJI. Despite acknowledging technological gaps, CIRC's strategic positioning and robust contract wins signal a promising trajectory, particularly in defense and commercial applications