The global EV market is rapidly expanding, particularly in China, driven by affordable models and government support. While Europe and the US face slower growth due to various factors, China's dominance continues to increase. Taiwan's automotive industry, leveraging its robust ICT sector, focuses on smart vehicle technologies to capitalize on this growing market
With the US implementing new semiconductor export controls, Samsung Electronics (Samsung) and SK Hynix have gained temporary relief as they advance their process upgrades at factories in Xi'an and Wuxi. However, the exclusion of CXMT from the Entity List has sparked concerns in the South Korean industry
China's electric vehicle (EV) sector sparked to life in 2014, marked by the emergence of pioneering startups like NIO, Li Auto, and XPeng Motors. In the five years that followed, over 60 new players entered the market, while 400 companies registered without ever producing a single vehicle
Rapidus is underway with the construction of a wafer fab in Chitose City, Hokkaido. The company aims to commence trial production of 2nm chips by April 2025 and anticipates scaling to mass production by 2027. Unlike semiconductor hub Kyushu, home to TSMC's operations, Hokkaido's lack of semiconductor infrastructure presents unique logistical challenges
Apple Intelligence is targeting launch in the Chinese market by April 2025, but reports indicate that its collaboration with Baidu is facing difficulties
Huawei unveiled its Mate 70 series in late November, and by early December, the US imposed new restrictions targeting China's semiconductor sector. Analysts speculate the high-profile release, promoted with the slogan "Strong enough to take off," may have reignited US concerns, particularly over chips produced by SMIC, now under heightened scrutiny with subsidiaries flagged for "FN5" regulation
China has unveiled countermeasures following Trump's recent announcement of a 10% tariff on Chinese imports. On December 5, the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China (MOF) released a draft proposal that would grant domestic products a 20% price evaluation advantage in government procurement, creating a significant barrier for foreign competitors in the bidding market
Chinese semiconductor exports are projected to exceed CNY1 trillion (US$30.8 billion) in 2024, having already reached CNY931.17 billion in the first 10 months of the year
Despite mounting pressure for semiconductor independence, Chinese technology companies remain reluctant to fully embrace locally manufactured chips as alternatives to US-restricted components
The South Korean government has assured that the Biden administration's latest semiconductor control measures against China, including restrictions on high bandwidth memory (HBM) exports, will have minimal impact on Samsung Electronics (Samsung) and SK Hynix. The measures are aimed at limiting the development of China's artificial intelligence (AI) industry
Sakura Internet is collaborating with NEC to develop a generative AI (GenAI) service platform, integrating NEC's "cotomi" AI technology into its offerings. To support this initiative, Sakura Internet plans to procure 10,000 Nvidia GPUs annually, highlighting the growing demand for GenAI solutions
Recent reports indicate that Hongjun Microelectronics Technology, a Chinese Arm server processor IC designer, is undergoing significant layoffs. Industry insiders suggest this may be connected to TSMC's prior decision to reduce the supply of advanced processes at 7nm and below to China, which has likely had a ripple effect on the company
Development of drones and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites in Taiwan has been hindered by a lack of domestically developed chips, according to industry sources
Tsinghua Unigroup's chip subsidiary Unisoc announced plans to secure an additional CNY2 billion (US$448 million) in equity financing, following its earlier CNY4 billion (US$896 million) round. The company's total funding now stands at NT$26.8 billion
