Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) hopes to collaborate with Nissan Motor to advance its electric vehicle (EV) business, according to Jun Seki, chief strategy officer (CSO) of Foxconn's EV business. The company would also like to form an alliance with Honda Motor and Mitsubishi Motors, and is looking forward to the formation of a Taiwan-Japan EV alliance.
On April 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs, imposing rates as high as 46% on products from Vietnam, 34% on those from China, 32% on Indonesia, and 26% on goods from India—key regions where many South Korean companies have production hubs. This escalation threatens to disrupt the complex global supply chains of these firms. However, for businesses like Hanwha Solutions and OCI, which run solar energy plants in the US, the changing geopolitical landscape could strengthen their competitive position.
China has imposed new export restrictions on seven medium and heavy rare earth elements—samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—through a joint directive from the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Although intended to curb US access, the move could have far-reaching consequences, with potential disruptions across the robotics sector and its broader supply chain.
India will restrict market access to BYD Co. even as it courts investments from US rival Tesla Inc., showing New Delhi's lingering angst with China despite recent signs of a thaw in relationship.
On March 29, a Xiaomi SU7 operating in Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) mode crashed on a highway in Anhui Province, killing three college-aged passengers. Despite detecting an obstacle and initiating braking, the vehicle collided with a roadside barrier at 97 km/h. The deadly crash quickly went viral on Chinese social media platforms.
Although China's automobile industry has overtaken its competitors on the global stage, the industry itself is suffering from ever-increasing internal competition, with supply chain players pointing to homogeneity as the main culprit.
Taiwan's domestic car market entered 2025 with cautious optimism, but early indicators reveal a challenging landscape. Despite aggressive promotional efforts and a flurry of new model launches, many automakers are struggling to meet their sales targets for the crucial first quarter. Industry experts are now predicting a stagnant or even declining market compared to 2024, citing persistent economic uncertainties and a lack of significant consumer demand.
The US has intensified tariffs on Chinese lithium battery materials, beginning with the Inflation Reduction Act under the Biden administration and continuing with President Trump's reciprocal tariffs. With combined tax rates now exceeding 80% for Chinese exports to the US, the global supply chain landscape is shifting dramatically.
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of March 31 – April 5. From sweeping US tariff hikes to strategic moves by major tech players, here's a quick look at the headlines that captured industry attention.
Over the past fifty years, China has driven its national progress through two key forces: economic growth and nationalism. Its rapid economic expansion has not only reshaped Chinese society but also played a crucial role in global economic development. Between 2009 and 2019, the world's total GDP grew from US$61 trillion to US$88 trillion, with China contributing a third of that US$27 trillion increase. This era was both China's "golden decade" and a time when the international community heavily relied on its economic engine.
As AI applications in smart vehicles become increasingly widespread, cybersecurity vulnerabilities in connected vehicles are becoming more evident. According to Taiwan-based automotive cybersecurity specialist VicOne, a subsidiary of Trend Micro, the number of automotive vulnerabilities reached a record high in 2024, with over 77% occurring in in-vehicle or onboard systems.
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