The intensity of the US-China tariff and trade conflict continues to rise, with both nations facing increasing pressure. While the electronics supply chain has a brief respite with a 90-day tariff exemption, other industries are already experiencing the collateral effects of this escalating trade war.
On April 17, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan convened senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assess the potential impact of the US's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and explore strategies to mitigate industrial disruption from possible reciprocal tariffs.
Since the US government opened a 90-day window for reciprocal tariff exemption negotiations, the market widely expects a strong wave of early inventory pull-ins during this period. Semiconductor firms are already bracing for a surge of rush orders. IC design companies report that customers in the server and networking sectors are especially aggressive in restocking.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Beijing on April 17, meeting with senior Chinese officials and clients as the company continues to navigate increasingly complex US export controls.
Generative AI is redrawing the tech landscape—from cloud to edge—while geopolitical tensions push countries to rethink their semiconductor strategies. As Taiwan, led by TSMC, navigates a shifting global order, the question is no longer whether it can lead but how it must evolve to stay ahead.
