In a historic White House press conference, President Donald Trump joined TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei to announce a monumental US$100 billion investment by TSMC in the United States. The event, attended by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and White House AI and Semiconductor Advisor David Sacks, underscored America's aggressive push to reassert dominance in the global semiconductor industry. Beyond the staggering financial commitment, the conference revealed the strategic motivations, economic implications, and key personalities shaping this transformative deal

Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market reached slightly less than 79 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, representing a 14.9% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 0.6% growth year-over-year. Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2025, it is estimated that shipment volumes will experience a single-digit decline, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering the Chinese smartphone market

With non-Chinese markets entering their traditional off-season and the Chinese market lacking a nationwide shopping promotion event, overall smartphone shipments by Chinese brands are expected to decrease by 9.7% on quarter in the first quarter of 2025 after enjoying good sequential growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering China's smartphone industry

Chinese smartphone application processors (APs) shipments are expected to remain stable in the first quarter of 2025 despite the traditional off-season, supported by China's handset subsidy policy. Mid-to-high-end 5G models will likely appeal more to consumers within the subsidy-eligible price range, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering Chinese smartphone AP market

Fueled by the surging demand for CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) components in intelligent driving systems and consumer electronics, Will Semiconductor (WillSemi), the company behind OmniVision, has in recent years eclipsed its American and Japanese rivals to emerge as China's dominant supplier of sensor components. Orchestrating this remarkable ascent is the low-profile yet formidable Renrong Yu

As US tariffs on Mexico and Canada approach implementation after a one-month delay, manufacturers are reassessing US-based production strategies. Apple has pledged a US$500 billion investment over the next four years, including plans for a server manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas, in partnership with Foxconn. The Taiwanese manufacturer has not commented on its involvement

President Donald Trump wasted no time reshaping US energy policy, signing the "Unleashing American Energy" executive order on his first day in office. The sweeping directive dismantles the Biden administration's clean energy framework while bolstering fossil fuel industries, marking one of the sharpest policy reversals in recent US history

Just one month into his presidency, US President Donald Trump has commanded global attention with his rapid-fire initiatives. The impact of his second-term policies has upended traditional expectations, with industry sources revealing that five major Taiwanese electronics manufacturers are exploring investment opportunities in Texas in response to Trump's tariff threats. However, TSMC maintains a measured stance, carefully monitoring developments

The global server shipments are expected to see a mild decline of 3.8% in the first quarter of 2025 and among US-based cloud service providers (CSPs), Meta will maintain a relatively high level of shipments, while Google's shipments are expected to rebound this quarter, having seen a significant decline in the previous quarter, according to DIGITIMES' latest server research report covering global shipments and market status

If two competitive strategies within an industry can both become dominant at different times, it is natural for these strategies to shift as industry conditions change

There is a growing sense of unease in Taiwan, driven by what is perceived as a transactional approach from US President Donald Trump. Trump's reported interest in acquiring 50% of Ukraine's rare earth minerals in exchange for security assurances has drawn parallels to Taiwan's situation, particularly regarding its advanced chip manufacturing capabilities

Over the past 70 years of semiconductor industry development, there has been a significant shift towards deconstructing the industrial value chain into individual value chain nodes

US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals starting as early as April 2, with potential increases over time. This follows his recent 10% tariff on Chinese goods and 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum

The rapid rise of AI-driven applications in smart healthcare, semiconductors, and data storage has pushed many Taiwanese companies traditionally focused on automotive components to undergo strategic transformations in recent years, achieving significant milestones along the way

In Beijing's early spring of 2025, the Chinese government reconvened its first meeting with private enterprises in nearly six years, with technology taking center stage