The supply chain for Japanese semiconductor company Rapidus is preparing to start supplying goods as construction of Rapidus' wafer fab nears completion

Intel's ongoing foundry spinoff initiative presents both opportunities and risks, potentially serving as a critical reference for Samsung Electronics as it formulates future strategies. However, analysts believe that the chances are slim for Samsung to follow Intel's path

Apple officially launched its new iPhone 16 series on September 20. Compared to previous years, the enthusiasm for Apple phones in the Chinese market seems to have cooled, and some e-commerce platforms have even offered discounts of up to CNY1,000 (US$141.2)

China's latest domestically produced DUV exposure machine cannot perform the critical multiple exposures needed for advanced chip production, making it incapable of achieving finer process nodes like 28nm and below. This limitation hampers China's efforts to expand mature process production using homegrown equipment

The Biden Administration announced in May that it would be increasing tariff rates on China-based products including semiconductors and electric vehicles (EVs). USTR claimed that the increased tariff rate on EVs would become effective on September 27, which would impose a 100% increase on tariffs for China-based EVs

Chinese semiconductor firms are rapidly expanding into Southeast Asia, with ASEAN countries emerging as key partners in their international push. Despite hurdles in developing their own chip industries—Singapore's limited scale, Malaysia's talent gap, and Vietnam's underdeveloped infrastructure—China's capital, technology, and expertise offer significant spillover benefits in the region

With strong backing from the Chinese government, Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is aggressively expanding its DRAM production capacity, potentially challenging the triopoly led by Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron

China's telecom infrastructure tenders are not being implemented with enthusiasm, resulting in limited visibility for network chip orders from the sector, according to industry sources

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued a directive urging automakers to audit their chip usage and push for chip replacement verifications, intending to hit a 20-25% localization rate by 2024. Companies that fail to meet this threshold will see a gradual reduction in government incentives. The push comes as Beijing braces for stricter US measures aimed at curbing chip trade with China through pressure on key allies like Japan and the Netherlands

China recently achieved a milestone with its indigenous lithography system, which is capable of producing chips at nodes smaller than 65nm. However, the development of an immersive DUV system remains several years away

At SEMICON India 2024, major Japanese semiconductor suppliers participated, with Tokyo Electron set to expand its presence in India, underscoring the strategy to tap into the growing Indian market while reducing reliance on China

China's electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are expanding their overseas production to circumvent rising tariffs in many parts of the world. This move comes as China emerges as a powerhouse in the global automobile industry, having surpassed Japan in 2023 to become the world's largest car exporter

TSMC, with its advanced manufacturing processes, is an indispensable partner not just for US tech firms such as Nvidia, AWS, and Google in their AI chip developments, but also for many Chinese players, including Cambricon Technologies and Biren Technology, that are vying for a position in the AI era

One of the critical focal points in the US-China tech war is the collaborative effort by the US, Japan, and the Netherlands to prevent Chinese semiconductor companies from acquiring essential equipment for front-end wafer manufacturing. This initiative began during the Trump administration, which halted the export of ASML's EUV lithography machines to China in 2019

Samsung Electronics is reportedly exploring using dry photoresist for its upcoming 6G 10nm-class DRAM (1c DRAM) to widen its lead in DRAM with its competitors, such as SK Hynix and Micron Technology, and solidify its status in the DRAM market