US-China trade tensions and high tariffs are reshaping the global power semiconductor industry, creating both challenges and opportunities. Taiwanese firms are adopting capacity relocation strategies and bolstering partnerships with Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US to leverage geopolitical advantages and prepare for potential tariff escalations as Trump returns to office.
Japanese manufacturer Ibiden has established itself as a dominant player in the IC substrate market for AI chips, driven by Nvidia's strong demand for these substrates. Ibiden emphasized its commitment to maintaining the long-term partnership it has built with Intel.
The Ministry of Commerce of China has announced its export control list of American enterprises, including compound semiconductor manufacturer Intelligent Epitaxy Technology (IntelliEPI). In response, IntelliEPI stated that while the ban was just issued, they are currently assessing its impact. The company emphasized that its supply chain has been diversified with multiple suppliers over time to reduce risks, and they are developing relevant countermeasures.
PCB manufacturer Zhen Ding Technology has experienced its second fire incident at its Guanyin site in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, in five years. The origin of the fire and the precise financial damages remain undetermined; nevertheless, production will temporarily relocate to alternative sites within the group as a contingency measure.
Despite setbacks such as low demand in the end-user market, price slashing in the automotive market, and sluggishness during the traditional peak season for the consumer electronics industry, Taiwanese LED firms have actively sought growth momentum in 2024 by shifting more toward high-value product lines.
Leading PCB manufacturer Zhen Ding has received approval to set up an AI park at the Southern Taiwan Science Park. The company is expected to invest NT$2 billion (US$61 million) to establish a hardboard production line and R&D center, targeting high-end PCB demands from clients in the AI server sector, with production anticipated to commence in the second half of 2025 at the earliest.
Taiwan's major motherboard and graphics card manufacturers are capitalizing on opportunities in the AI server sector, with projected operational growth in 2025, according to industry sources.
South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced a KRW36.4 billion (US$24.79 million) investment to fund 48 next-generation semiconductor R&D projects by 2025. The initiative focuses on Processing-In-Memory (PIM) chips, advanced packaging, on-device AI semiconductors, system semiconductors, and compound power semiconductors.
Japanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer Meiko has doubled its market value, driven by the need for the global supply chain relocation away from China. By proactively setting up production facilities in Vietnam, Meiko has become a key player amidst the US-China tensions. Satellite communications opportunities have also significantly boosted its revenue growth.
A recent report has revealed that the CPU department under Arm China, a Chinese chip IP designer and service provider, has started laying off employees. The department consists of around 30-40 staff members. Even though the number of layoffs is not large, it still has a significant impact on Arm China given the scale of the company.
Wingtech, a Chinese ODM and IDM powerhouse, announced on December 30 that it has signed a letter of intent to transfer the equity and operating assets of nine ODM subsidiaries to Luxshare Precision Industry. This acquisition would mark a watershed moment in the supply chain landscape.
Elephantech Inc., a Tokyo-based printed electronics manufacturer, has announced a breakthrough in developing general-purpose multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs). The company's press release claims its proprietary SustainaCircuits™ technology is poised to revolutionize the industry by significantly reducing copper usage and production costs.
Flexible copper-clad laminate (FCCL) maker Taiflex Scientific expects to gain growth momentum from new product lines in 2025 though the consumer electronics market will only see mild recovery, with the automotive market unlikely to see improvements.
Chinese microcontroller unit (MCU) manufacturers are ramping up their presence in the edge AI sector, following the trajectory of global leaders in AI MCU development.
Hyundai Motor Group has reportedly disbanded its Semiconductor Strategy Group (the Group), a key division tasked with driving the company's in-house development of automotive semiconductors to reduce reliance on external suppliers. Its functions and personnel are being reassigned to other departments as part of a broader restructuring.
Nan Ya PCB, one of Taiwan's top trio of substrate manufacturers, has capitalized on a strategic opportunity in the latter half of 2024 by launching new high-end substrate products to drive its business transformation and capture a share of the burgeoning AI and high-performance computing (HPC) markets. The company forecasts double-digit revenue growth by 2025.
Topoint Technology, a manufacturer of PCB drill bits, is preparing to commence mass production at its new factory in Thailand in 2025. This facility will provide drilling services to local PCB operations overseen by Taiwan-based companies.
Automotive PCB manufacturer Chin Poon is maintaining a cautious outlook for 2025, projecting flat market conditions amid the global automotive market slowdown and client pessimism. With market recovery uncertain, the company plans to strategically expand its focus on communications and industrial control segments in the coming year.
Amid shifting dynamics in the power semiconductor market, Onsemi is leveraging China as a key growth driver for its dual focus on automotive electrification and AI data centers. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the company is laying the groundwork for long-term growth.
Following other PCB firms' expansion moves, niche copper-clad laminate (CCL) specialist Ventec announced plans in November for a production base in Thailand, which will begin volume production in the first quarter of 2026. The expansion comes in consideration of escalating risks in the US-China trade war, aiming to enhance the company's long-term resilience through a production base in Southeast Asia.
In a press release dated December 10, Toppan, a subsidiary of Toppan Holdings, announced its participation in the US-JOINT initiative. This initiative is a consortium between the US and Japan, which was established in July with the goal of advancing AI and autonomous technology in next-generation semiconductor packaging.
Taiwan-based tier-1 high-density interconnect (HDI) board maker Compeq Manufacturing has opened its first production base in Southeast Asia located in Thailand. The facility will initially focus on producing printed circuit boards (PCB) for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites with mass production set to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Japanese semiconductor testing equipment firm Advantest has announced its latest testing solutions for advanced applications such as high-end memory, 5G, AI, and high-performance computing (HPC). The company is also closely monitoring Rapidus's progress in mass-producing 2nm chips.
