Key European and US IDMs like Texas Instruments (TI), NXP, and STMicroelectronics (STM) have released their latest earnings reports, some showing solid recovery performance in the previous quarter, while others faced relatively weak demand. Expectations for the next quarter also vary among companies.

Taiwan-based foundry Vanguard International Semiconductor (VIS) reported a sharp profit decline in the third quarter of 2025 despite steady revenue growth. Net income fell 20% from a year earlier, hitting its lowest level in nearly six quarters.

The global automotive semiconductor market is expected to reach US$78 billion in 2025, according to Mike Cheng, regional president of Avnet Taiwan, one of the world's largest electronic component distributors. While the overall compound annual growth rate may hover around 4%, Cheng said three technological frontiers are expanding far more rapidly: high-performance computing (HPC), power systems, and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

Odisha marked a significant milestone in its electronics manufacturing journey as Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi performed the groundbreaking ceremony for SiCSem's silicon carbide semiconductor production facility at Info Valley, Bhubaneswar. The integrated plant, backed by an investment of INR20.67 billion (US$230 million), is expected to be operational by fiscal year 2028 (April 2027 to March 2028) and create around 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the official press release.

Amid intensifying competition in China's foundry sector, Hua Hong Semiconductor announced a leadership overhaul on October 31, 2025, naming 62-year-old Dr. Peng Bai as chairman and head of the Nomination Committee while retaining his roles as president and executive director.

While global carmakers and supply chain players remain cautious about automotive market prospects, several Taiwanese chip designers are signaling quiet optimism. Leading international automotive semiconductor suppliers have adopted a wait-and-see approach, expecting only gradual recovery. Meanwhile, Taiwan's newer market entrants are experiencing stronger-than-expected order momentum.

A significant divergence emerged as Taiwan and China concluded their major PCB industry exhibitions in late October 2025. While Taiwanese manufacturers focused on supply bottlenecks for copper-clad laminates (CCL) amid surging AI demand, Chinese firms shifted attention to their own PCB technologies for cloud and edge AI. They also revealed early work on a next-generation packaging breakthrough known as CoWoP.

Onsemi reported steady progress in its operational and manufacturing strategies during the third quarter of 2025, emphasizing controlled inventory buildup, ongoing consolidation of non-core businesses, and a continued focus on its 8-inch wafer production as the company prepares for demand normalization in 2026.

Onsemi reported signs of stabilization across its core automotive and industrial markets in the third quarter of 2025, while its artificial intelligence-related business continued to grow steadily, underscoring the company's position to benefit as demand normalizes globally.

On November 3, Onsemi reported a decline in third-quarter 2025 revenue and margins, though its guidance for the fourth quarter indicates signs of stabilization across automotive and industrial markets, along with steady growth in artificial intelligence-related sales.

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.

CXMT has released its LPDDR5X products on its official website to coincide with rising global memory prices. Many major companies, such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are benefitting from the memory market boom; whether CXMT will capture a share of the market growth will depend on its capacity expansion and yield progress.

During an interview aboard Air Force One on November 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump stated that only US customers should have access to Nvidia's advanced Blackwell AI chips. According to Reuters, these new chips are ten years ahead of their competitors, positioning the US ahead of the game. On the flip side of Trump's intentions to gatekeep valuable technology, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is encouraging cooperation because it serves everyone's best interests.

Amid tense US-China relations, shifting policies under the Trump administration, and growing concerns over an "AI bubble," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has launched an intensive "diplomatic de-escalation" tour to defuse tensions. He recently made consecutive appearances at Nvidia's GTC conference in Washington, DC, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, demonstrating his flexible execution of the "Huang-style" strategy.

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.

As China's 15th Five-Year Plan approaches, Big Fund III is accelerating its investments in core semiconductor materials and equipment sectors.

Major Japanese automakers and suppliers have reported limited disruptions from the recent halt in semiconductor exports by Nexperia, a key chipmaker, as industry players emphasize sufficient inventory and alternative sourcing strategies to maintain stable production.

Just south of Seoul, a dense grid of R&D towers known as Pangyo Techno Valley has evolved from an industrial cluster into a crucial testbed for South Korea's artificial intelligence ambitions.

The Chinese arm of Dutch semiconductor maker Nexperia has publicly accused its headquarters of owing more than CNY1 billion (approximately US$140 million) in unpaid fees, escalating an already fraught dispute between the two sides over control and supply-chain operations.

As TSMC and Samsung Electronics move closer to mass production of 2nm chips, Japan's semiconductor materials makers are accelerating investments to strengthen their global supply chain presence and meet surging demand for advanced materials.

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.

Industry sources revealed TSMC had introduced a rare multi-year price increase strategy for its advanced semiconductor processes, effective starting in 2026. The company will implement consecutive annual hikes over four years for advanced nodes, including 5nm, 4nm, 3nm, and sub-2nm technologies, marking a significant shift from its traditional pricing approach.

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from October 27 to November 2, 2025.

Tong Hsing Electronic, a CMOS image sensor (CIS) packaging and semiconductor assembly company, reported NT$2.85 billion (US$93 million) in consolidated revenue for the third quarter of 2025, down 3.94% sequentially to an eight-quarter low. Tong Hsing president Shao-Ping (Heinz) Lu said fourth-quarter 2025 revenue is expected to remain flat compared to the previous quarter, but three major growth drivers will boost operations in 2026.