Sanmina reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued upbeat guidance, citing strong demand from communications networks and cloud, and AI infrastructure, and momentum from its newly closed ZT Systems acquisition.

Acoustics specialist Merry Electronics delivered solid operational results in the third quarter of 2025, with revenue reaching a nearly three-year high for the same period. This reflects the gradual benefits of its diversified portfolio in acoustics and medical products.

Vulcan Elements and ReElement Technologies announced a US$1.4 billion partnership with the US government to scale a fully domestic rare earth magnet supply chain. The agreement includes the construction of a 10,000-metric-ton magnet production facility in the US and the expansion of ReElement's recycling and processing capabilities.

Following SoftBank's acquisition of ABB's robotics business, the global industrial robot landscape has shifted from a European-Japanese balance to dominance by Japanese firms and China's Midea Group. This move reflects a critical turning point in automation, challenging traditional giants like Fanuc and Yaskawa amid rising Chinese market share and accelerating AI integration.

Following multiple rounds of negotiation and the successful "Trump–Xi summit," US–China trade tensions have eased, reflecting a cautiously resilient yet competitive relationship. Nonetheless, Washington's stringent technology sanctions and containment policies toward Beijing remain firmly in place. Consequently, Taiwanese firms operating between the two powers must navigate carefully to avoid falling under US extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The quantum computing industry is at a critical inflection point, shifting from "scientific fantasy" to practical industrial application, driven by major breakthroughs in quantum error correction (QEC) technology. This shift was a focal theme of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's keynote at the recent GTC conference in Washington.

Murata president Norio Nakajima revealed on October 31, 2025, during an online earnings briefing that the company will supply power modules, batteries, multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), and inductors to US data centers as part of a US-Japan government initiative announced on October 28, 2025.

As automakers worldwide accelerate toward smarter factories, China's carmakers are moving at an unprecedented pace to deploy artificial intelligence-powered robots across their production lines. Their efforts fall broadly into three strategic categories—future warriors, digital sentinels, and logistics troops—all sharing a single goal: to harness general intelligence to enhance production speed, industrial efficiency, and scalable manufacturing power.

Tokyo Electron (TEL) announced it has raised its operating profit forecast for fiscal 2025 (April 2025-March 2026) from JPY570 billion (approx. US$3.7 billion) to JPY586 billion. However, this figure remains below the market consensus of JPY602.1 billion.

India has approved several electronic component manufacturing projects, underscoring its push up the tech supply chain, while OpenAI, Meta, and Google race to secure positions in the country’s fast-growing AI market.

The recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has eased tensions between the two countries, de-escalating rare earth export controls and soybean trade barriers. It remains uncertain whether Trump will come up with other threats when dealing with China. But for Taiwan, the speculation about the US sacrificing the island nation in return for better ties with China has not materialized. Neither has the US taken concrete steps to impose semiconductor tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Taiwan's manufacturing sector may gain momentum over the next two months if geopolitical and economic conditions remain stable.

India is preparing to nearly triple incentives for rare-earth magnet manufacturing to over INR70 billion (US$788 million) as part of efforts to reduce reliance on China. The move comes just days after Beijing agreed to relax export restrictions following the latest US-China trade deal, easing immediate supply pressures.

The ASEAN summit concluded on October 28 with US President Donald Trump signing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on critical minerals cooperation with Thailand and Malaysia. The agreements have raised concerns domestically in both countries, prompting official responses to clarify their implications.

Backlight module leader Radiant Opto-Electronics has completed three acquisitions within two years, forming what Chairman Justin Wang calls an unprecedented team. With key technologies secured, the company plans to focus on integration and aims to begin mass production of meta-optic products by 2027.

South Korea's major corporate groups have significantly expanded their production assets in the US over the past eight years, overtaking China and Vietnam as the leading overseas manufacturing hub. Data from CEO Score, cited by CEO Score Daily and Newsis, shows the top ten conglomerates increased their combined overseas production assets from KRW209.2 trillion (US$146.27 billion) in 2016 to KRW490.7 trillion by the end of 2024.

Rare earth elements (REEs), comprising 17 chemical elements including the 15 lanthanides from lanthanum (La, atomic number 57) to lutetium (Lu, 71), plus scandium and yttrium, are essential materials with unique optical, electrical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Often called "industrial vitamins" or "industrial gold," REEs are indispensable in many high-tech industries.

At a seminar held on April 28, 2025, by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), experts highlighted the stark contrast in quantum talent development and industry application between Taiwan and the Netherlands. Jeff Lin, general director of ITRI's Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, noted that although the Netherlands has a population of 18 million and produces about 200 quantum master's and PhD graduates annually, Taiwan—with 23 million people—only trains around 50 quantum specialists each year. Moreover, Taiwanese quantum talents often find it difficult to secure relevant jobs.

Panasonic Holdings has revised down its operating profit forecast for fiscal year 2025 by 13.5%, primarily due to reduced profitability in its energy business segment that includes electric vehicle (EV) battery operations. The company supplies batteries to automakers such as Tesla.

China's expanded rare earth export controls, now including semiconductors, heighten global strategic risks while offering Taiwan's firms a chance to boost sustainable material recovery technologies.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in South Korea on October 30, 2025, to announce a trade agreement that paused months of escalating tensions between the two countries. The nearly two-hour meeting in Busan formalized a framework addressing tariffs, rare earth exports, and other key issues. Both leaders expressed cautious optimism about the future of economic relations.

As the global wave of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) surges, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has positioned the company's AI strategy as an industry benchmark, with the annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) emerging as a critical platform for technology players worldwide. Foxconn, a longstanding Nvidia partner, has intensified its collaboration from hardware manufacturing to system integration, underlining its growing role in the AI supply chain.

In April 2025, US President Donald Trump escalated the trade conflict with China by threatening tariffs as high as 145%, prompting a fierce response from Beijing, vowing to fight to the end. Following a rare direct meeting in Busan, South Korea, the two leaders reached a tentative agreement that could signal a pause in the hostilities, though doubts remain over its durability.

Compal Electronics' wholly owned subsidiary, Compal US Technology (CUT), has secured board approval to lease new facilities in Taylor and Georgetown, Texas. The move aims to reinforce Compal's North American market presence and improve supply chain robustness amid evolving global challenges.