The US presidential race is still too close to call, but the final outcome of the election will not change Taiwanese ODM's ongoing plans of moving part of their porduction lines out of China, as tensions between the world's two superpowers are unlikely to ease anytime soon. In the semiconductor sector, 8-inch foundries are striving to expand capacity to meet strong demand. In the display sector, touch panel solution supplier TPK is bracing for weak sales in the fourth quarter amid shrinking demand for handset applications.
US election outcome not to change ODM relocation plans: Taiwan-based notebook and server manufacturers are sticking to plans of moving production out of China according to customer requests, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election, though their notebook clients have not yet placed orders with their plants outside of China, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
Second-tier foundries eyeing bigger share in 8-inch foundry market: With 8-inch wafer fabrication demand rising rapidly for chips including ultra-thin fingerprint sensors, power management ICs, MOSFET chips and display driver ICs, second-tier foundries are striving to expand their 8-inch fab capacities, according to industry observers.
TPK conservative about 4Q20 amid shrinking demand for handset applications: Touch modules vendor TPK Holding has turned conservative about its fourth-quarter 2020 business results despite impressive revenue and profit gains in the third quarter, and is shifting its focus to medium- and large-size display solutions to counter weakening demand for handset applications.