China's homegrown car companies attracted the automotive industry's attention at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show last week, while global automakers gathered at the site.
The newly-elected governor of Kumamoto Prefecture said he's ready to ensure wide-ranging support to woo Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to build its third Japanese chip factory there.
SMIC released its first-quarter financial report for 2024, with revenue performance showing a year-on-year increase of 19.7% to $1.75 billion, slightly better than market expectations and comparable to UMC. It also indicated continuous growth in shipment volume and a capacity utilization rate of 80.8%, higher than 76.8% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 68.1% in the first quarter of 2023, showcasing a significant improvement.
Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) is reportedly expediting the development of its semiconductor packaging-use Glass Core Substrate (GCS) business by advancing the construction of a glass substrate trial production line by one quarter, aiming to stay competitive in the semiconductor materials market.
Since the commercial operation launch of China's 5G communication system in October 2019, the number of 5G mobile users in China has exceeded 800 million. The monthly shipment proportion of 5G smartphones has also increased to over 80%, becoming the mainstream specification in the market.
According to a corporate filing to the Shanghai Exchange, MG Motor, a subsidiary of SAIC, plans to introduce investors such as JSW Ventures Singapore Pte. Limited (referred to as JSW Singapore) through equity transfer and capital increase for expansion.
Lam Research is expanding its investments to help India grow a chipmaking ecosystem. India-based Mindgroove Technologies introduced a RISC-V SoC to meet local demands.
President Joe Biden's administration is poised to unveil a sweeping decision on China tariffs as soon as next week, one that's expected to target key strategic sectors while rejecting the across-the-board hikes sought by Donald Trump, people familiar with the matter said.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. expects its average selling price to fall this quarter as chipmakers increase capacity, raising the alarm about growing price competition in the global market.
Market research firm DSCC recently stated that for Apple's OLED iPad launched in 2024, LG Display (LGD) is expected to account for over 65% of the panel shipments, ahead of Samsung Display (SDC). Observers in the South Korean industry have raised concerns about Apple issuing rather harsh requirements, suspecting that Apple may be attempting to shift the "responsibility" of weak sales and shipments onto the South Korean panel manufacturers
In a recent move aimed at bolstering national security measures, the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has added 37 People's Republic of China (PRC) entities to the Entity List under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). What is noteworthy is that quantum technology is specifically mentioned for 22 newly added to the Entity List.
Panasonic Group reported a record-high net income for the fiscal year ending in March 2024. Its battery business received significant tax credits from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Japan's semiconductor foundry startup Rapidus, now on a mission to mass produce 2nm chips by 2027, is developing advanced packaging and chiplet technologies, with a particular focus on interposer technology crucial for connecting chips with substrates. However, Rapidus is also tackling the challenge of improving production yield to win more advanced-packaging customers.
According to SMIC's financial results, it reported rising sales in the first quarter but saw worsening profits due to intensifying competition in China, particularly in commoditized products like DDI and CIS. SMIC reiterated its commitment to build fabs, with depreciation pressures expected to mount further.
The US-China trade relationship will likely exacerbate as the US might take "extreme action" on Chinese-made connected cars. The Biden administration is also considering new tariffs on several sectors China dominates, including EVs.
