Amid uncertainties in the Chinese market and reduced spending by automotive chip and power semiconductor manufacturers, Japanese semiconductor equipment makers have revised their sales forecast for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 - March 2026). Nevertheless, demand for advanced process chips, especially those needed for artificial intelligence (AI), is anticipated to lead to a 5% year-over-year sales growth in 2025

LG Electronics' Indian subsidiary experienced a revenue surge of almost 10% in 2024. The company remains on course with its plans to launch an IPO in India, aiming to take advantage of the market's expansion

In the past two years, China's independent car brands have gained dominance in the Chinese automobile market, thanks to the rapidly rising popularity of new energy vehicles. Chinese independent brands are still expecting an increase in sales for 2025, but the outlook of China's new energy vehicle sector may not be as promising as they expect

Nissan Motor plans to cut approximately 9,000 jobs worldwide as part of a major restructuring effort, according to reports from Kyodo and Nikkei Asia. More than 70% of the layoffs—around 6,700 positions—will impact production staff, while the remaining cuts will affect administrative roles. The job reductions are part of Nissan's strategy to scale down global production capacity by 20% by the end of fiscal 2026, which runs from April 2026 to March 2027

On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump issued a series of orders, notably revoking electric vehicle (EV) subsidies and vowing to revive the glory of the American automotive industry

With Donald Trump back in the White House, South Korean industry leaders are optimistic that their drones could become a viable alternative to Chinese-made models amid escalating US sanctions on China. In response, South Korean drone manufacturers are ramping up efforts to expand their presence in the US by setting up local subsidiaries, which could drive growth for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in South Korea

Samsung unveiled its latest trio of flagship smartphones this week, with promotional campaigns set to roll out across major global markets in the coming weeks. However, persistent concerns about its chip strategy have placed Samsung in a challenging "triple dilemma" that remains unresolved

Huawei has recaptured the leading position in China's smartphone market for the first time since facing US sanctions, marking a significant shift in market dynamics. According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, Huawei secured an 18.1% market share in the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily propelled by strong sales of its Nova 13 series and high-end Mate 70 series, achieving a 15.5% increase compared to the same period last year

As Samsung Electronics gears up to release its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results, industry observers are closely monitoring the company's progress in meeting its high bandwidth memory (HBM) business targets for the year. However, according to recent reports from South Korean media, Samsung's HBM shipments for the quarter are projected to exceed 20 billion gigabytes (GB), significantly below the company's original goal of 30 billion GB

The global IC design market is expanding rapidly, driven by the growth of AI. However, South Korea's system semiconductor sector, which currently holds a modest 2% market share, faces further decline due to inadequate government support. Projections indicate that the country's share could shrink to approximately 1% by 2027

GigaDevice, a Chinese manufacturer of NOR flash memory and MCUs, recently disclosed its performance forecast for 2024. The company projects a net profit jump of over fivefold

Zhu-Xiang Yang, general manager of Innolux, a major panel manufacturer in Taiwan, wrote a year-end reflection poem about the challenges and outlook for the panel industry

Globalization has driven significant transformations in the electronics manufacturing industry since the late 20th century, with Taiwanese EMS providers experiencing rapid growth under China's economic opening policies. Leveraging China's vast labor force and favorable policies, Taiwanese EMS firms expanded rapidly, paving the way for the rise of the EMS industry within China itself

SK Hynix is poised to achieve a record-high operating profit in 2024, potentially surpassing Samsung Electronics (Samsung) for the first time. The company maintains its optimistic outlook on the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market, with plans to secure its market leadership through HBM4 and HBM4E development

China's domestic automakers are rapidly expanding their local market presence, creating an existential threat to foreign brands and their joint ventures. Several international manufacturers and joint venture operations have already ceased production in China, with more plant closures anticipated in 2025