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Tuesday 20 January 2026
Taiwan ramps up semiconductor research while US chip relocation debate rages on
Following the conclusion of tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the US, both sides have presented differing interpretations: Taiwan's Executive Yuan has expressed satisfaction with securing its four major goals, while US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the combined US$500 billion investment as a "down payment," and stressed plans to shift about 40% of Taiwan's supply chain and production capacity to the US before Trump's current term ends.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
AI server watch: AI servers lift Taiwan supply chain broadly in 2025, gains center on ODM/EMS, cooling, optical
Taiwan's AI server supply chain delivered broad-based growth in 2025, fueled by surging generative AI and cloud data center spending, but the biggest gains clustered around two areas: system-level integration led by original design manufacturer (ODM)/electronics manufacturing services (EMS) manufacturers, and a set of high-power, AI-specific components—especially thermal solutions, rack hardware, and high-speed optical interconnect.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Samsung foundry utilization reportedly nears 60% as losses narrow
Samsung Electronics' foundry business is showing signs of a gradual recovery, with fab utilization expected to average in the low-60% range in the first half of 2026, up from the 50% range in the second half of 2025, according to a report by ZDNet Korea.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Supply chain shifts strategies as China tightens rare earth export controls
Amid escalating geopolitical tensions between China and Japan, China has recently imposed stricter review measures on rare earth exports to Japan. Chinese authorities now reportedly require exporters to submit more detailed declarations, including the actual use of rare earths, the products they are applied to, and whether these products are re-exported to the US or other third countries.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
ASM International reports stronger orders as China's demand rebounds

ASM International said it posted stronger-than-expected preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 2025, buoyed by a rebound in demand from China and robust orders from advanced logic and foundry customers. The company also raised its outlook for the first quarter of 2026, signaling growing confidence in the semiconductor capital-spending cycle.

Tuesday 20 January 2026
Samsung reportedly to test EUV tools at Taylor fab in March
Samsung Electronics will reportedly begin test operations of extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment at its Taylor, Texas, fabrication plant in March, ahead of full operations planned for the second half of 2026, according to Hankyung. The facility is set to manufacture Tesla's AI5 and AI6 autonomous driving chips under a US$16.5 billion contract secured in July 2025.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
TSMC builds 'virtual IDM' for Apple chips
TSMC and Apple have maintained a close partnership over the years, working like one team to push Moore's Law forward. According to SemiAnalysis, Apple employs hundreds of engineers stationed at TSMC headquarters, effectively treating the foundry as an extension of its own operations.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
US semiconductor tariffs may weigh on Malaysia's export-driven industries
The US' recent announcement of a 25% tariff on certain advanced computing chips, including Nvidia's H200 and AMD's MI325X, could have implications for Malaysia's semiconductor sector, though experts suggest immediate effects may be limited. The tariffs, justified by the White House on national security grounds, aim to incentivize domestic chip production and reduce reliance on overseas suppliers such as Taiwan.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Taiwanese PMIC makers see stable demand in industrial, automotive sectors as global focus shifts
Demand for power management integrated circuits (PMICs) from Taiwanese manufacturers is showing signs of stabilization, particularly in cloud AI servers, industrial control, and automotive markets, industry sources said. While consumer applications continue to experience seasonal declines, leading global PMIC players are concentrating on higher-end fields, creating opportunities for Taiwanese firms to expand.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Kaynes Semicon secures ISM fiscal support in India chip push
Kaynes Semicon Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kaynes Technology India Limited, has signed a Fiscal Support Agreement and related transaction documents with the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), marking a key procedural milestone in the implementation of government-backed incentives for semiconductor manufacturing.
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Eternal Precision secures position in AI with glass substrate, panel-level packaging equipment
Eternal Precision Mechanics (EPM), a subsidiary of Eternal Materials, made its official market debut on January 16, listing shares at an underwriting price of NT$125 (approx. US$3.95).
Monday 19 January 2026
Taiwan carves robotics niche as humanoids proliferate
"Physical AI"—the fusion of artificial intelligence with machines that move, sense, and act in the real world—emerged as a defining theme at CES 2026, where Chinese robotics companies made a particularly forceful showing. Dozens of humanoid robots were on display, underscoring how quickly China is moving to translate AI advances into physical form.
Monday 19 January 2026
TSMC eyes rapid 2nm growth in 2026 through high capex and US-Taiwan expansion
TSMC posted record fourth quarter 2025 results driven by strong demand for its 3nm and 5nm process families, with a gross margin of 62.3%, surpassing prior guidance of 59-61%. The better-than-expected profitability was attributed to cost improvements, favorable exchange rates, and high capacity utilization.
Monday 19 January 2026
Tesla accelerates AI chip development even with safety and software challenges
Tesla aims to shorten its in-house AI chip design cycle to one generation every nine months, targeting rivals Nvidia and AMD. However, industry analysts highlight automotive safety verification and software stability as the biggest bottlenecks.
Monday 19 January 2026
Tariffs reshuffle global supply chains, but US manufacturing revival remains elusive
Geopolitics has become an unavoidable force shaping business decisions in 2026. Shifting tariff policies under President Donald Trump have pushed global supply chains away from pure globalization and toward regional and localized production. While Washington has repeatedly called for manufacturing to return to the United States, executives across the industry say the economic and structural obstacles remain formidable.
Monday 19 January 2026
US-Taiwan trade pact clears path for tech supply chain hubs in America
The US and Taiwan have reached a trade breakthrough that lowers reciprocal tariffs to 15% and applies most-favored-nation treatment without stacking, creating new momentum for Taiwanese technology companies to expand manufacturing and supply chain operations in the US. The agreement also formalizes a strategy known as the "Taiwan model," aimed at building localized industrial clusters rather than isolated overseas factories.
Monday 19 January 2026
China's Innosilicon launches LPDDR6 IP with commercial shipments
As AI smartphones and AI PCs surge, end devices demand unprecedented memory bandwidth. Recently, Chinese interface IP provider Innosilicon announced that its self-developed LPDDR6/5X combo IP has successfully shipped to major customers.
Monday 19 January 2026
Weekly news roundup: memory shortages, packaging power, TSMC's global pivot
Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories of the week of January 12-18, 2026.
Monday 19 January 2026
OpenAI taps Cerebras for US$10 billion AI chip buildout
OpenAI said it would partner with the artificial intelligence chip maker Cerebras to build 750 megawatts of ultra-low-latency AI computing capacity, a project that will come online in phases starting in 2026. Construction is expected to begin this year and continue through 2028.
Monday 19 January 2026
Commentary: TSMC drives tariff talks as Taiwan eyes 40% chip capacity shift to US
After months of trade negotiations, Taiwan and the US have finalized a reciprocal tariff agreement that lowers rates to 15% without stacking most-favored-nation (MFN) tariffs. The deal grants semiconductor products under Section 232 preferential treatment, expands supply chain investment cooperation, and establishes a credit guarantee fund totaling US$500 billion.
Monday 19 January 2026
Commentary: US and Taiwan finalize tariff deal, securing favorable terms for semiconductor exports

The US and Taiwan have formally concluded a tariff agreement that sets a 15% rate on covered goods, alongside a sweeping package of Taiwanese commitments aimed at deepening ties with the American semiconductor industry. Under the deal, Taiwan will make US$250 billion in direct investment in US semiconductor manufacturing, while its government will provide an additional US$250 billion in credit guarantees.

Monday 19 January 2026
India roundup: Acer bets on growing PC penetration
Acer and Lenovo are optimistic about India's consumer electronics sector as the global market slows due to rising memory prices.
Monday 19 January 2026
Advantest ATE lead times remain tight as AI and memory markets expand
As demand strengthens in markets such as GPUs and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), Japan-based Advantest said orders for semiconductor automated test equipment (ATE) remain stable, with average product lead times exceeding six months. The company expects that once the newly expanded assembly capacity is fully in place in 2026, order backlogs will be further alleviated.
Monday 19 January 2026
Ardentec utilization rate rises through 2025 on chip testing demand from networking, automotive, and storage sectors
Semiconductor testing company Ardentec reported steady utilization growth through 2025, driven by strong chip-testing orders from the networking, automotive, and storage markets. The firm's fourth-quarter revenue reached an annual high, slightly exceeding its own guidance provided in the previous quarter.
Saturday 17 January 2026
TSMC speeds up US expansion while keeping FX strategy simple
TSMC is speeding up its multibillion-dollar expansion in Arizona after posting strong earnings, signaling confidence in long-term artificial intelligence demand and the US push to rebuild domestic chip manufacturing.