As tensions between China and Japan escalate over export controls on rare earths and semiconductor materials, China is accelerating efforts to build domestic production capacity—even as Japanese firms continue to dominate the global photoresist market

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been investing tens of trillions of won each year to expand memory production as the global market moves into a new upcycle. That spending now faces fresh pressure from the US semiconductor tariff policy, complicating long-term investment planning at the two companies

PCB maker Tripod Technology said full-year 2025 revenue reached a record high, and it expects stable momentum heading into 2026 despite ongoing inventory adjustments among automotive customers. Strong demand from server and memory module applications is driving a steady increase in utilization rates, allowing first-quarter operations to defy traditional seasonality and remain in line with the previous quarter's revenue level

The explosive demand for AI chips has created a rare production bottleneck for TSMC's advanced 3nm process, with capacity fully booked through 2027. Deutsche Bank analysts suggest that the crunch may provide a strategic opening for Samsung Electronics to capture orders from major technology firms