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Jul 11 ICT

US tariff revenues surge as protectionist policies drive import reshuffling

Jul 11 SEMICONDUCTORS

GaN surge: Innoscience targets 20K/month 8-inch wafer milestone by year-end

Jul 11 ICT

Manus AI flees China for Singapore following US$75 million Benchmark round

US-Vietnam Tariff Deal

On July 2, US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Vietnam.

Unclear US definitions on origin washing put Vietnam in crossfire of both superpowers
Component makers across Southeast Asia await clarity as Vietnam reaches tariff deal with US
Apple faces fresh tariff headwinds as US-Vietnam deal reshapes supply chains

...More

SEMICONDUCTORS

Jul 11

NXP plots wafer shift to China as new CEO joins push for local supply chain

Kurt Sievers, the CEO of Dutch semiconductor giant NXP Semiconductors, who is set to officially step down at the end of October 2025, recently visited Shanghai and met with the mayor of Shanghai, Zheng Gong. Sievers stated that the Chinese market has become NXP's largest single global market. The company values its cooperation with Chinese enterprises and believes that success in China will translate into global success. Notably, Sievers' successor, Rafael Sotomayor, also accompanied him on this trip, underscoring NXP's strong emphasis on the Chinese market.

Jul 11

SiPearl raises EUR130 million to mass-produce Rhea1 chip with TSMC, advancing Europe's AI and HPC goals

French microprocessor startup SiPearl has secured EUR130 million (US$152.53 million) in a Series A funding round, with investors including Taiwan's Cathay Venture Inc. The company will use the funds to mass-produce its Rhea1 chip and develop next-generation processors aimed at advancing Europe's capabilities in supercomputing and artificial intelligence (AI).

Jul 11

Qualcomm losing presence in Chinese flagship phones with MediaTek catching up

In a surprising change within the smartphone industry, MediaTek, long seen as the second largest chipmaker in the high-end sector, is gaining ground against American semiconductor giant Qualcomm in China's premium smartphone segment.

ICT

Jul 11

China's embodied AI race just got real — Robot Era, DEEP Robotics raises CNY1 billion

China's embodied AI and humanoid robotics market is experiencing a funding surge, with leading startups Robot Era and DEEP Robotics jointly securing nearly CNY1 billion (approx. US$140 million) in fresh capital on the same day, underscoring sustained investor interest in physical AI technologies.

Jul 11

How Taiwan's EMS evolved (2): Resilience and regionalized supply chains

As of 2024, the global electronic manufacturing services (EMS) industry is valued at approximately US$700 billion, with about half originating from Taiwan. Starting in 1966 with basic black-and-white television assembly, Taiwan has transformed over six decades into a comprehensive EMS powerhouse.

Jul 11

US weighs new export controls on AI chips to Thailand and Malaysia

The US Department of Commerce is reportedly preparing new regulations that would restrict the export of advanced AI chips to Thailand and Malaysia to prevent their diversion into China, according to industry sources.

TRENDING

COMMUNICATIONS

Jul 11

Digital transformation and 5G services drive sales and profits for Taiwan telecom firms in June

The three major telecom firms in Taiwan have all delivered impressive sales for June 2025, thanks to momentum from 5G services, enterprise customers accelerating digital transformation, and diversified content services.

Jul 11

Apple's foldable smartphone expected in 2026 as China's hinge and display suppliers gear up

Global foldable smartphone shipments rose only 9% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, a steep decline from the triple-digit growth seen in earlier years, according to Counterpoint Research. Now entering its sixth year of commercialization, the segment is losing steam, largely due to Apple's continued absence from the market.

Jul 11

Wi-Fi 7 bundled plans drive Arcadyan's record revenue

Arcadyan's record-breaking first-half 2025 revenue was fueled by booming demand for Wi-Fi 7 devices, rising Passive Optical Network (PON) adoption, and aggressive restocking by telecom operators. The company is closely watching US tariff announcements before capacity adjustments.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Jul 11

Nissan shifts production of its Kicks SUV to Japan, taps Foxconn to revive underused Oppama plant

Nissan will start producing its compact SUV, the Kicks, at the Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture in the second half of fiscal 2025 (October 2025 to March 2026), according to Nikkei. The decision targets raising plant utilization, which has dropped to approximately 40%, far below the 80% breakeven point.

Jul 11

Subsidy hangover? China's June auto sales surge may be last hurrah

China's auto sales reached 2.08 million units in June, marking the highest monthly total since June 2022. Analysts believe the spike was likely driven by consumers accelerating purchases in anticipation of cuts or shifts to government subsidy programs.

Jul 11

China tackles auto supplier payment crisis with complaint platform

Facing growing frustration from suppliers, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has launched a national complaint platform to address delayed payments by automakers — a widespread issue that has plagued small and medium-sized suppliers amid the country's ongoing automotive price wars. Whether the platform can offer effective relief, however, remains uncertain.

SUSTAINABILITY

Jul 10

Taiwan's SAS group sees overseas solar momentum amid domestic slowdown

Sino-American Silicon Products Group (SAS) said that international solar cell demand is picking up steam even as Taiwan's domestic market struggles with project delays over the past two years.

Jul 9

Seetel partners with Canadian firm to expand global energy storage reach

Taiwan's Seetel, a lithium battery and energy storage manufacturer, said Tuesday it formed a strategic alliance with Canadian energy storage solutions provider Energy Plug to expand into global markets.

Jul 9

Trump's copper tariff threats are already raising factory costs

US President Donald Trump's plans to place hefty import tariffs on copper have already caused a spike in costs for American factories, with New York futures trading 25% higher than other global benchmarks on July 8.

AEROSPACE

Jul 11

Taiwan positions itself in US Replicator drone program despite technology challenges

As global demand for unmanned aerial systems accelerates, Taiwan is positioning itself as a potential cornerstone in the Pentagon's Replicator initiative—a program launched in 2023 to deploy thousands of small, low-cost, and reusable drones by 2025.