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Apr 2
TSMC plans 12 fabs in Arizona as supply chain shifts from passive to active
TSMC's expansion scale in the US has exceeded expectations, prompting Taiwanese suppliers with existing or planned local operations to take a more proactive approach. Reportedly, companies covering cleanroom, plant engineering, electromechanical integration, and equipment sectors have seen surging visa applications and staffing demands. This surge has kept intermediaries and legal service providers busy both in Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park and Arizona, highlighting peak mobilization within the supply chain.
Facing the risk of a prolonged Iran conflict, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have reportedly begun strengthening their helium supply chain management for semiconductor manufacturing. Both companies plan to diversify suppliers beyond the Middle East and adjust import ratios by country to maintain stable supply chains.
After soaring more than 2,200% over the past year, DDR4 16Gb spot prices have finally begun to decline, signaling a growing polarization in the memory market in the first quarter of 2026. While DRAM and NAND Flash contract prices remain strong on the back of supply constraints and server demand, spot markets — especially in China — are experiencing sharp drops amid weak consumer demand and inventory sell-offs.
AI data center demand is tightening memory supply while NAND makers phase out low-capacity legacy nodes. Shenzhen Techwinsemi Technology said rising NAND prices are squeezing margins for devices priced near CNY1,000, even as supply shifts create new growth opportunities. The company has secured partnerships with leading Chinese smartphone vendors.
The explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-performance computing (HPC) is driving up the value of key components like ABF substrates. With ongoing bottlenecks in the global supply chain for advanced packaging substrates, South Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has proactively restructured its product lineup and increased prices. This move reflects not only rising raw material costs but also a structural shift where demand far exceeds supply.
Nanya Technology Corporation (NTC) reported March 2026 revenue of NT$18.17 billion (approx. US$568.15 million), up 16.42% month-over-month and 560.04% year-over-year. First-quarter revenue climbed to NT$49.09 billion, surging 582.91% to a record high, underscoring a sharp rebound in the DRAM cycle.

The global AI narrative is often reduced to a struggle between US- and China-based tech giants. However, a quieter yet more significant movement is emerging among second-tier industrial powers. During a recent lecture, DIGITIMES chairman Colley Hwang spoke about how nations such as Germany, Japan, France, and Canada are increasingly focused on building sovereign AI.

Montage Technology reported full-year 2025 revenue of CNY5.46 billion (US$750 million), up 49.9% year on year, while net profit rose 58.4% to CNY2.24 billion, broadly in line with expectations. Adjusted net profit reached CNY2.02 billion, up 62.0%, reflecting solid underlying demand.
Samsung Electronics reportedly faces renewed strike risk after union talks stalled, threatening already tight mature-node semiconductor supply chains. Power management ICs (PMICs) and display driver ICs (DDICs) are seen as the most exposed segments, given constrained capacity and firm demand.

Europe is stepping up semiconductor ties with Taiwan as it seeks to turn research strength into commercial production, with foundries such as Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) playing a growing role in bridging that gap as the artificial intelligence race intensifies.

Taiwanese foundry Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) and France's CEA-Leti have signed a multi-year agreement on April 3 aimed at easing one of artificial intelligence's most pressing constraints: rising power consumption and data-transfer bottlenecks inside data centers, executives said in an interview with DIGITIMES Asia.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has designated Taiwan as a highly cooperative and pivotal trading partner in its 2026 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report.