Despite strong bipartisan opposition in Congress, the US government has officially lifted its export restriction on Nvidia's H200 AI accelerator to China. This marks a significant policy reversal, as authorities in both the House and Senate have argued that allowing China access to high-performance AI chips risks accelerating its AI development and weakening US technological leadership.

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.

India's effort to modernize its state-run Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) is shaping up to be one of the most consequential experiments in the country's semiconductor strategy.

Intel has secured a reduction of nearly EUR140 million (approx. US$163.7 million) in its remaining EU antitrust penalty, though the bloc's second-highest court upheld the finding that the company abused its dominance in the x86 processor market, according to Reuters and Bloomberg.

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.

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.

Following several executives' retirements at TSMC and the company's succession planning, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has initiated a leadership transition plan. TS Wu, a Gen-X executive, is reportedly set to take over as president, but UMC's spokesperson has declined to comment on market rumors.

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.

Synopsys reported solid revenue growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, with sales surging nearly 38% year over year, while issuing an upbeat outlook for the first quarter and full year of 2026.

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.

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.

Given ODM manufacturers' expansion plans, there are no signs of an AI bubble. MiTAC plans to bring four factories online in 2026. Its new plant at the Linkou headquarters can flexibly adjust production according to its strong customer order demand.

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.

Benefiting from solid order momentum across its technology and consumer-related business groups, cleanroom electromechanical integrator Acter Group posted consolidated revenue of NT$3.73 billion (US$119.6 million) in November 2025, up 20% year-over-year. Consolidated revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 reached NT$37.43 billion, up 41% year-over-year, with both setting new historical highs for the same period. Facility engineering projects for clients in semiconductors, electronic components, cloud computing, and general consumer sectors have been steadily recognized according to Acter's schedule. Demand for cleanroom upgrades and retrofits in existing factories continues to climb and increase business.

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.

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.

China has reportedly added domestic artificial intelligence processors to its official government procurement list for the first time, according to the Financial Times. The move signals a major effort to accelerate semiconductor self-reliance even as the US authorizes limited exports of Nvidia's advanced H200 chips to the country. The policy shift raises questions over how China will balance its push for indigenous development with continued demand for high-end US hardware.

Benefiting from robust demand for AI chips that offset weakening orders in smartphones and other consumer electronics, TSMC reported consolidated revenue of NT$343.614 billion (US$11.23 billion) in November 2025.

Taiwan's 2026 central government budget has stalled in the Legislative Yuan amid partisan gridlock and the ruling party's loss of a parliamentary majority, raising concerns over funding for the nation's most critical science and technology programs. Premier Jung-tai Cho urged lawmakers to accelerate the budget review, warning that prolonged delays could disrupt major R&D subsidies, semiconductor

Advanced packaging equipment and wafer reclaim solutions provider Scientech reported consolidated revenue of NT$958 million (US$30.77 million) in November 2025, up 9% sequentially and 7% year over year. Cumulative consolidated revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 reached NT$10.39 billion, a 17% increase from the same period in 2024, surpassing the NT$10 billion mark for the first time and setting a new annual record ahead of schedule.

The Trump Administration has cleared Nvidia's H200 chips for export to China, imposing a 25% revenue share and restricting sales to "approved customers". Even with those limits, the move marks the most significant loosening of US semiconductor export controls since 2022.

Semiconductor equipment suppliers reveal that TSMC and non-TSMC players, including ASE, Amkor, and UMC, are accelerating the expansion of advanced packaging Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) capacity. Order trends indicate GPU and ASIC customer demand will exceed expectations in 2026-27.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan in New Delhi, where the two US tech leaders outlined major investments and support for India's ambitions in artificial intelligence and semiconductors.