Samsung SDI is ending its battery manufacturing partnership with General Motors (GM) in Indiana, terminating a major EV joint venture — and sending ripples across the supply chain.

Ledlink Optics Inc. posted consolidated revenue of NT$353 million (US$10.97 million) in the second quarter of 2026, up 16% quarter-over-quarter and 7% year-on-year, marking its second-highest result for the same period in 11 years. A ramp-up in shipments for new automotive projects, a higher mix of value-added products, and continued optimization of its product and customer order structure lifted operating profit to NT$4.24 million (US$132,000) and net profit attributable to the parent company to NT$5.65 million (US$175,000), with earnings per share (EPS) at NT$0.1, ending its five straight quarters of losses since the first quarter of 2025 and returning the company to profitability.

Chinese authorities have announced that sodium-ion batteries will be exempt from consumption tax from September 2026 through the end of 2028, while lithium batteries will once again gradually face a 2% to 4% consumption tax. The new policy creates a 28-month "lithium-sodium tax gap" of about 2% to 4%, accelerating commercialization of sodium-ion batteries and drawing previously cautious downstream buyers into the market.

Taiwanese lithium battery materials maker Aleees said it secured a 20-year supply contract with Tesla Inc. and plans to deliver at least 100,000 tons of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) precursor materials annually to support demand in the US market. The company is also searching for a new factory site, with Tainan emerging as the leading option.