These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 31 – April 5. From sweeping US tariff hikes to strategic moves by major tech players, here's a quick look at the headlines that captured industry attention

As Trump imposes a 27% reciprocal tariff against India on top of a 10% baseline duty, India launches an electronics component manufacturing incentive scheme, and Foxconn continues to buy production equipment from Apple for its Indian operations

Since introducing the world's first commercially available collaborative robot in 2005, Universal Robots (UR) has continuously advanced product design, automation technology, and AI integration. EEWorld reports the company shipped its 50,000th unit by late 2020 and crossed the 75,000 mark by mid-2023, reflecting accelerated momentum in the global cobot market

Over the past fifty years, China has driven its national progress through two key forces: economic growth and nationalism. Its rapid economic expansion has not only reshaped Chinese society but also played a crucial role in global economic development. Between 2009 and 2019, the world's total GDP grew from US$61 trillion to US$88 trillion, with China contributing a third of that US$27 trillion increase. This era was both China's "golden decade" and a time when the international community heavily relied on its economic engine

President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on US trading partners worldwide, his biggest assault yet on a global economic system he has long bemoaned as unfair.
Trump said Wednesday he will apply a minimum 10% tariff on all exporters to the US and slap additional duties on around 60 nations with the largest trade imbalances with the US. That includes substantially higher rates on some of the country's biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of at least 54% on many goods — the European Union and Vietnam

Tata Electronics has made a significant move to bolster its semiconductor manufacturing ambitions by appointing industry veteran KC Ang as President and Head of Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing. Ang, bringing over three decades of experience in the semiconductor sector, will assume his new role in 2024, reporting directly to Tata Electronics CEO Randhir Thakur, according to the Economic Times and Mint

As Apple accelerates efforts to diversify its iPhone component supply chain, LG Group's component subsidiaries are monitoring market developments closely. While LG Display (LGD) and LG Innotek maintain significant positions in Apple's display and camera module supply chains, Chinese vendors are rapidly gaining ground, challenging South Korea's long-standing dominance

A quiet revolution is reshaping the future of global manufacturing, with robotics technology at its center. In this unfolding race, the US and its Western allies are increasingly wary of China's potential to take the lead

As Tesla and Huawei continue to dominate headlines in China's autonomous driving race, another player is quietly reshaping the landscape. Founded in 2016, Momenta has captured more than 60% of China's urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) market for third-party suppliers, according to Xinhua News Agency. In a field crowded with tech giants and cash-burning startups, this stealth-mode contender has rapidly become a pivotal force in China's smart mobility sector

South Korean leading tech conglomerates Naver and Kakao have placed artificial intelligence firmly at the core of their future strategies, as evidenced by recent shareholder meetings. However, despite this shared focus, the companies are pursuing markedly different approaches shaped by distinct leadership styles and internal priorities, reports ETNews and ZDNet Korea

China has taken steps to restrict local companies from investing in the US, according to people familiar with the matter, in a move that could give Beijing more leverage for potential trade negotiations with the Trump administration

Microsoft has closed its AI and IoT laboratory in Shanghai, adding to the growing list of multinational corporations scaling back operations in China. According to a report by The South China Morning Post, the lab in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park now stands empty, with office equipment removed and Microsoft's corporate logo taken down from the building

Goertek, a leading Chinese electronics manufacturer, is expanding its footprint in Vietnam with a proposed VND9,717 billion (approx. US$391 million) investment while also formalizing a partnership with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) to support talent development and joint research initiatives

Sharp Corporation announced on March 31 that it has agreed to sell an idle LCD panel factory in Mie Prefecture, Japan, to local electronics component maker Aoi Electronics. Known as Mie Plant 1, the facility spans roughly 60,000 square meters (approx. 14.83 acres) and has been inactive since 2015, when Sharp halted small- and medium-size LCD production there

According to a press release, Qualcomm has acquired MovianAI, the former generative AI division of VinAI, which is part of the Vingroup. This acquisition will enhance Qualcomm's R&D capabilities, potentially fostering significant innovations