Recent reports suggest one big reason US President Donald Trump has allowed exports of Nvidia's H200 AI chips to China is Huawei's rapid rise in AI computing. Bloomberg cites multiple sources, stating that after White House officials reviewed Huawei's Ascend series chips and its CloudMatrix 384 AI-native cloud infrastructure platform, they concluded that Huawei's overall performance is now approaching Nvidia's advanced Blackwell-based NVL72 platform. This significantly reduces the need for a total ban on AI chip exports to China.

The Trump administration has authorized exports of Nvidia's H200 artificial intelligence processors to China, a decision that analysts view as a partial concession allowing restricted chip sales while still blocking Chinese access to Nvidia's upcoming Blackwell line.

China has reportedly added domestic artificial intelligence processors to its official government procurement list for the first time, according to the Financial Times. The move signals a major effort to accelerate semiconductor self-reliance even as the US authorizes limited exports of Nvidia's advanced H200 chips to the country. The policy shift raises questions over how China will balance its push for indigenous development with continued demand for high-end US hardware.

Benefiting from robust demand for AI chips that offset weakening orders in smartphones and other consumer electronics, TSMC reported consolidated revenue of NT$343.614 billion (US$11.23 billion) in November 2025.

Taiwan's 2026 central government budget has stalled in the Legislative Yuan amid partisan gridlock and the ruling party's loss of a parliamentary majority, raising concerns over funding for the nation's most critical science and technology programs. Premier Jung-tai Cho urged lawmakers to accelerate the budget review, warning that prolonged delays could disrupt major R&D subsidies, semiconductor

Advanced packaging equipment and wafer reclaim solutions provider Scientech reported consolidated revenue of NT$958 million (US$30.77 million) in November 2025, up 9% sequentially and 7% year over year. Cumulative consolidated revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 reached NT$10.39 billion, a 17% increase from the same period in 2024, surpassing the NT$10 billion mark for the first time and setting a new annual record ahead of schedule.

The Trump Administration has cleared Nvidia's H200 chips for export to China, imposing a 25% revenue share and restricting sales to "approved customers". Even with those limits, the move marks the most significant loosening of US semiconductor export controls since 2022.

Semiconductor equipment suppliers reveal that TSMC and non-TSMC players, including ASE, Amkor, and UMC, are accelerating the expansion of advanced packaging Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) capacity. Order trends indicate GPU and ASIC customer demand will exceed expectations in 2026-27.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan in New Delhi, where the two US tech leaders outlined major investments and support for India's ambitions in artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

Taiwan is moving to cement its position in the emerging global quantum technology supply chain, with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) outlining a strategy to build a full ecosystem—from components to systems and applications—powered by the nation's semiconductor and ICT strengths.

Washington's decision to authorize Nvidia H200 chip exports to China has triggered a strategic debate within Beijing's technology sector. Chinese companies must now balance immediate infrastructure performance against the national mandate for semiconductor self-sufficiency. Analysts suggest the move tests China's resolve to build an independent supply chain while simultaneously allowing the US to clear aging inventory.

Singapore is reinforcing its role as a neutral semiconductor hub while urging Southeast Asian nations to integrate their supply chains, as complex US export controls overtake tariffs as the region's primary business challenge, according to Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) Executive Director Ang Wee Seng.

US President Donald Trump has announced that Nvidia's H200 will be allowed to return to the Chinese market after Jensen Huang's lobbying efforts. Nvidia is expected to resume securing revenue from China.

The US government's decision to ease restrictions on exporting Nvidia's H200 AI chip to China marks a significant victory for one of the world's most influential computing companies. It also signals a subtle but unmistakable shift in Washington's China tech strategy—from a rigid, across-the-board blockade to a more transactional, negotiable system of conditional controls.

As 2025 nears its end, negotiations over the US Section 232 tariffs closely tied to Taiwan's semiconductor and ICT exports remain unresolved. The US government's expectation of a "50-50 chip split" has yet to receive a commitment from Taiwan. However, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te recently sent a positive message in an interview with US media, stating that Taiwan is willing to assist the US in chip production, and that if the US provides policy support, achieving the "50-50 chip split" goal is possible. This marks a significant shift in the government's stance toward US expectations based on mutual benefits.

UMC announced on December 8, 2025, that it has signed a technology licensing agreement with Belgium-based Imec to acquire the Imec iSiPP300 silicon photonics (SiPh) process. This process supports co-packaged optics (CPO) compatibility, enabling UMC to launch a 12-inch SiPh platform targeting next-generation high-speed connectivity applications.

Samsung Electronics, fresh off completing sixth-generation HBM4 development, is reportedly accelerating DRAM capacity expansion in a renewed effort to reclaim leadership in AI memory.

The SEMICON Japan 2025 exhibition is set to take place in Tokyo from December 17 to 19, 2025, with Topco Scientific (TSC) and its Japanese subsidiary Shunkawa participating alongside nine semiconductor suppliers from Taiwan, the US, and Japan. Together, they will showcase critical materials and equipment covering semiconductor front-end processing, power modules, and advanced packaging, as well as integrated solutions for smart energy-saving monitoring systems.

Cica-Huntek Chemical Technology, a joint venture between Japan's Kanto Chemical and Huntek Systems, has entered the TSMC supply chain. The company has benefited from Kanto Chemical's long-standing cooperation with TSMC and its deep expertise in chemical supply systems, securing orders for TSMC's AP8 fab and its Kumamoto facility in Japan.

The Indo-Pacific region has become the world's most critical theater for both technology manufacturing and geopolitical competition. As military tensions escalate across East Asia, executives are increasingly questioning whether their supply chains can withstand potential disruptions.

Samsung Electronics, with its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4), uses base dies produced by Samsung Foundry. As Samsung's HBM4 competitiveness rises, the market expects the performance of Samsung Foundry to improve in tandem. Increased HBM4 sales not only boost the memory business but also drive foundry revenue, demonstrating Samsung's advantage as an integrated device manufacturer (IDM).

Navitas Semiconductor and Cyient Semiconductors have announced a strategic, long-term partnership aimed at advancing gallium nitride (GaN) technology adoption in India and establishing a comprehensive local GaN ecosystem. The collaboration, announced on December 8, 2025, will focus on product co-development, local supply chain development, and enabling high-power applications.

SK Hynix and battery subsidiaries within SK Group received approval for 68 core patents in China in November 2025. Many of these patents relate to highly integrated memory designs and solid-state battery stability technologies, which are expected to accelerate the development of next-generation AI chips and electric vehicle batteries, enhancing competitiveness in the Chinese market.

Tata Group and Intel announced on December 8 that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore cooperation across semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and AI-focused computing systems in India. The agreement is aimed at expanding domestic chip production and building a more resilient electronics supply chain as India seeks to strengthen its position in the global semiconductor industry.