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Thursday 3 July 2025
US unleashes Section 232 tariffs, global trade talks in disarray
With the July 9, 2025, deadline for new tariffs fast approaching, trade talks between the US and key partners like Japan, India, and France are showing signs of strain. At the heart of the deadlock lies Washington's increasingly aggressive use of Section 232 tariffs, a tool with far greater bite than traditional reciprocal duties
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Thursday 3 July 2025
Samsung completes development of 1c DRAM, paving way for HBM4 rollout

Samsung Electronics has successfully developed its sixth-generation DRAM, known as 1c DRAM, built using a 10nm class process. The product has received internal Production Readiness Approval (PRA), signaling it has met key quality and performance benchmarks and is now in the final phase before mass production. The milestone brings Samsung one step closer to its goal of mass-producing HBM4, or fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory, in the second half of 2025

Thursday 3 July 2025
Details of the US-China trade agreement remain unclear, with no consensus on rare earths and chip controls
On June 26, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that the US had signed a trade agreement with China on June 25, which was also confirmed by China's Ministry of Commerce. From the talks in Geneva on May 11 to negotiations in London on June 10, followed by Trump's recent announcement, what exactly have the two countries agreed upon
Thursday 3 July 2025
China rare earth curbs put US in chokehold

Rare earth elements—critical to electric vehicles, defense systems, and advanced electronics—are once again at the center of geopolitical tensions. China, which controls more than 90 percent of the world's rare earth refining and processing capacity, continues to wield outsized influence over global supply

Thursday 3 July 2025
Samsung to restart P5 fab construction after two years as AI semiconductor grows
After a two-year hiatus, Samsung Electronics is reportedly set to resume construction of its advanced semiconductor production facility, the P5 fab, located in Pyeongtaek. With continuous improvements in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and next-generation DRAM technologies, alongside strong market growth expectations for AI semiconductors over the coming years, Samsung is preparing to launch a new round of equipment investment in South Korea
Thursday 3 July 2025
Chips for rare earths: An uneven US-China trade gambit
Since the onset of the US-China tech war, both sides have engaged in multifaceted struggles over strategic industries such as semiconductors, AI, and critical resources
Thursday 3 July 2025
China's EV leaders switch gears from horsepower to chip power
As global automakers advance deeper into electrification and intelligent mobility, China's top EV brands—BYD, Nio, and Xiaomi—are fast-tracking the development of self-designed chips. The push reflects a broader transition from dependence on foreign semiconductor suppliers to fully integrated hardware-software platforms, with significant implications for the global EV value chain
Thursday 3 July 2025
US lifts EDA tool curbs as part of new China deal
The Trump administration has lfited at least some export license requirements for chip design software sales in China, as Washington and Beijing implement a trade deal designed to see both countries ease flows of critical technologies
Thursday 3 July 2025
Nio spins off chip division with new 5nm auto SoC under volume production
China's first-tier electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio has taken a significant step forward in its chip self-sufficiency strategy, announcing that its chip division has officially spun off from the parent company to form a new entity, Anhui Shenji Technology. The spin-off has completed mass production and large-scale vehicle integration of its first self-developed automotive-grade 5nm smart driving chip, the Shenji NX9031, marking a new phase from chip development to commercial application
Thursday 3 July 2025
ByteDance expands AI hiring spree into humanoid robotics
ByteDance is recruiting heavily for humanoid robot development as the TikTok parent accelerates its push beyond social media into cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) applications
Thursday 3 July 2025
Problematic IVI systems draw most complaints from car owners
In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems are a key feature of smart cockpits and the driving technology experience, but their high failure rates and quality issues have become a major problem for car manufacturers
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Towa expands South Korea presence as AI spurs demand for HBM packaging tools
Japanese semiconductor equipment maker Towa Corporation, a global leader in advanced packaging systems, recently unveiled its newest technology for sixth-generation HBM4, aiming squarely at the surging demand from generative AI and high-performance computing markets
Wednesday 2 July 2025
China’s Dongshan Precision moves to buy Taiwan’s Source Photonics, triggering tech security alarms
Leading Chinese electronics manufacturer, Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing, has announced plans to acquire Source Photonics, a Taiwan-based optical communications firm located in the Hsinchu Science Park, for up to CNY5.935 billion (approx. US$828 million). The deal, priced at roughly six times Source Photonics' market value, aims to help Dongshan Precision break into the high-growth optical communication sector
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Samsung lags a year behind TSMC in 1.4nm race, shifts focus to 2nm reset
Samsung Electronics has delayed mass production of its 1.4nm process node to 2029, two years later than its original timeline and trailing TSMC's 2028 target. The shift reflects a strategic pivot to focus on 2nm process stabilization and address persistent yield issues and underutilized fab capacity
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Naver unveils Korean AI model that rivals OpenAI's GPT-4.1
South Korean internet giant Naver has launched HyperCLOVA X THINK, a large language model that matches OpenAI's GPT-4.1 performance while excelling in Korean-language tasks, advancing the country's push for AI sovereignty
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Samsung pitches 12-stack HBM3E to Nvidia after AMD's AI accelerator win
Samsung Electronics is intensifying its push to secure a major HBM3E supply deal with Nvidia, as Device Solutions chief Jun Young-hyun visited Nvidia's Silicon Valley headquarters in late June 2025. It was Jun's second visit in under two months — following a May 2025 trip — according to semiconductor expert Jukan Choi (@Jukanlosreve on X). The trip reflects Samsung's growing confidence, bolstered by its recent success in supplying 12-stack HBM3E to AMD for its latest AI accelerators
Research Report Database
Intel signals overhaul of IDM 2.0 and foundry strategy with Lip-Bu Tan's appointment, says DIGITIMES