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Nov 9
China extends 24% US tariff suspension, but Section 301 threat clouds trade truce
China announced on November 9 that it would extend the suspension of an additional 24% tariff on US imports for another two months, while retaining the 10% additional tariff, following agreements reached during talks between Chinese and US leaders in Washington. The extension, announced by the State Council Tariff Commission, will take effect at 1:01pm on November 10, 2026, and is intended to maintain stability in bilateral trade relations.
Global smartphone revenue rose 3% year on year to US$114 billion in the third quarter of 2026, even as shipments fell 19%, highlighting a worldwide shift toward more expensive devices. Higher prices supported value, but rising memory costs are squeezing manufacturers' margins and threatening affordability, especially in entry-level markets worldwide.
Precision gearmaker KHGEARS International reported October 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$283 million (US$8.62 million), up 19.08% year on year and a monthly record. Revenue for the first 10 months totaled NT$2.732 billion, up 6.24% from a year earlier and a record for the period.
Topco reported consolidated revenue of NT$8.186 billion (approx. US$249.4 million) for October 2026, up 6.3% month-over-month and 61.2% year-over-year, setting a record high for monthly revenue. Consolidated revenue for the first 10 months of 2026 reached NT$71.215 billion, up 28.6% year-over-year and surpassing the NT$67.584 billion recorded for all of 2025.
Unmanned vehicle systems developer 7STARLAKE announced on November 6 that it will work with South Korean robotics company Raion Robotics and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) to develop a physical AI and autonomous quadruped robot platform in Taiwan. The project will integrate multisensor data fusion, robot dynamics and terrain-contact simulations through virtual-physical closed-loop validation to strengthen local autonomy for unmanned vehicles.
Calls to curb artificial intelligence (AI) expansion have intensified after the US Democratic Party's sweeping victory in the midterm elections, but Trans-Sun Materials Technology Chairman Chia-Wang Li said political changes will not derail the AI growth trend. Regulatory measures under Democratic control could slightly delay some AI infrastructure projects, he said, but AI infrastructure remains an irreversible economic trend.
WinWay Technology, a semiconductor test-interface supplier, reported a slight decline in October revenue as holidays reduced shipping days and customer project adjustments affected deliveries. However, AI demand kept annual growth above 62%, while new projects involving AI, ASICs, GPUs, and CPUs are expected to offset seasonal weakness and support future operations.
Y-S Electronic, a subsidiary of Sun Yad Group, reported consolidated revenue of NT$73.271 million (US$2.24 million) in October 2026, up 31.67% year-on-year. Revenue for the first 10 months reached NT$792.871 million, up 23.20% year-on-year and surpassing its full-year 2025 revenue of NT$782.351 million, highlighting continued momentum in its core businesses.
Phison Electronics' AI business contributed more than 50% of total revenue in the third quarter of 2026, as demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise storage continued to grow. The company reported record revenue, gross profit, and earnings per share (EPS) for the period, and is targeting continued growth in all three financial metrics through its Phison 3.0 strategy.
As the global semiconductor industry continues to focus on Nvidia, Intel is looking beyond GPUs to determine where next-generation computing architectures will go. In an interview with Japanese publication PC Watch, Intel chief technology officer Pushkar Ranade outlined the company's technology roadmap, spanning advanced process technology, AI accelerators, quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, silicon photonics, in-memory computing, and new materials.
Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) is expanding its lineup of liquid-cooling quick-disconnect (QD) connectors for Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 platform, offering connections at both the server tray and rack levels. The company is incorporating blind-mate and floating connector mechanisms to reduce manual alignment during equipment installation and maintenance as it pursues opportunities in the next generation of AI data center (AIDC) liquid cooling.
Infineon bets on 800V DC for megawatt AI racks
Nov 10, 09:20
Rising power demand at AI data centers is driving demand for power semiconductors used in server power supplies, grid equipment, and chip-level power delivery. Infineon Technologies is positioning its silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio for a shift toward 800V DC architectures, solid-state transformers and vertical power delivery, addressing different voltage, power and efficiency requirements as it expands its AI infrastructure business.