On April 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs, imposing rates as high as 46% on products from Vietnam, 34% on those from China, 32% on Indonesia, and 26% on goods from India—key regions where many South Korean companies have production hubs. This escalation threatens to disrupt the complex global supply chains of these firms. However, for businesses like Hanwha Solutions and OCI, which run solar energy plants in the US, the changing geopolitical landscape could strengthen their competitive position.
China has imposed new export restrictions on seven medium and heavy rare earth elements—samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—through a joint directive from the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs. Although intended to curb US access, the move could have far-reaching consequences, with potential disruptions across the robotics sector and its broader supply chain.
Although China's automobile industry has overtaken its competitors on the global stage, the industry itself is suffering from ever-increasing internal competition, with supply chain players pointing to homogeneity as the main culprit.
In his "Liberation Day" speech on April 2, former U.S. President Donald Trump singled out key players in the global tech and trade landscape — including TSMC, its chairman C.C. Wei, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and notably China's President Xi Jinping — as he unveiled a sweeping reciprocal tariff plan aimed at bringing manufacturing back to America.
Chinese companies like BYD are now leaders in autonomous driving technology, bolstered by a strong ecosystem and government support, putting significant pressure on Tesla.
The US auto industry is experiencing a purchasing frenzy ahead of the 25% tariff set to take effect on April 3 under President Donald Trump. The tariff will be expanded on May 3 to include components like engines and transmissions, exacerbating concerns in both domestic and international supply chains.
Silicon carbide (SiC) supply chain prices have collapsed due to China's production capacity expansion, creating a challenging market environment for the first half of 2025, according to ACME Electronics General Manager Wen-Hao Wu. Despite these headwinds, ACME Electronics—which specializes in manganese-zinc/nickel-zinc soft ferrite cores and SiC powders—reports minimal impact due to its focus on markets outside China.
In response to US President Donald Trump's announcement that a 25% tariff will be imposed on cars coming into the US starting on April 2, the Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers Association (TTVMA) has issued a statement urging Taiwan's government to conduct a comprehensive and careful evaluation when formulating tariff policies, taking into account the long-term development of the industry.
US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on cars imported to the US has garnered attention from the automotive supply chain, including Taiwanese LED car module manufacturer Excellence Opto (EOI).
South Korean display makers have surpassed Japanese manufacturers in the global high-end automotive display market for the first time. In the future, LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC) will focus on developing high-end products to expand their business.
The global auto display panel market is expanding rapidly amid rising demand for smart and electric vehicles. China is gaining ground as a major supplier, fueled by its fast-growing new energy vehicle (NEV) sector. Taiwanese makers AUO and Innolux are carving out positions in the high-end segment through advanced display technologies.
IC distributors have expressed optimism regarding the semiconductor market outlook for 2025, generally believing that overall circumstances will exceed those of 2024. They anticipate that a variety of applications will experience growth in comparison to the previous year.
BYD Electronics reported its full-year financial results for 2024, with revenue rising 36.43% year-over-year to CNY177.306 billion (approx. US$24.45 billion). Gross profit increased 17.9% to CNY12.3 billion, while net income attributable to shareholders reached CNY4.27 billion, up 5.55% from the previous year. EBITDA surged 45.21% to CNY11.66 billion. Earnings per share stood at CNY1.89, and the company proposed a final dividend of CNY0.568, slightly higher than last year's CNY0.538.
Hyundai Motor Group is making a bold US$21 billion bet on the US economy between 2025 and 2028, targeting key B2B sectors across manufacturing, supply chain logistics, steel production, and next-gen mobility technologies.
Tesla is reportedly talking to local suppliers, including those from Tata, amid its supply chain diversification away from China and Taiwan. This move aligns with its goal to sell cars in India, where incentives are available for EV manufacturers that produce locally.
Japanese company Toppan Holdings has decided to divest all its 53.1% stake in Taiwan-based Giantplus Technology, a manufacturer of small and medium-sized LCD panels, marking its exit from panel production. However, Toppan will continue to procure panels from Giantplus, a move expected to boost the latter's revenue and reinforce optimism for 2025.
In 2025, the automotive industry is projected to surpass healthcare, technology, and financial services for the first time to become the sector most impacted by disruptive changes globally, making it face the most significant transformation, according to the latest Disruption Index 2025 report by consulting firm AlixPartners.
Hushan Autoparts, the world's largest car door handle manufacturer and a CAPA-certified automotive camera and sensor supplier, started trading on Taiwan's stock market on March 18, 2025.
With US President Donald Trump's tariffs reshaping the auto industry, Japanese carmakers are taking a low-profile yet strategic approach—expanding investments in the US market. However, tariffs complicate cross-border supply chains, and setting up new manufacturing facilities is a slow-moving solution.
US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs are disrupting the automotive industry. The US imposed a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum on March 12, with another 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico scheduled for April 2. These measures threaten the auto sector, which depends on seamless cross-border supply chains.
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China's automobile export volume reached 5.859 million units in 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 19.3%. This includes 4.574 million internal combustion engine vehicles and 1.284 million new energy vehicles.
The global auto industry is in flux, reshaped by advances in automotive electronics and electrification alongside the rise of Chinese EV makers. Traditional supply chains in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea are under pressure, while trade barriers add to the turbulence. Amid the sector's restructuring, the Foxconn Group has emerged as a wildcard in merger discussions, elevating Taiwan's presence on the global stage.
Taiwan has a robust automotive components industry, but the absence of domestic car brands has long been a missing piece in the puzzle. This structural gap weakens the industry's pricing power, putting local suppliers at a disadvantage compared to competitors in China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.
As the global electric vehicle (EV) market grows, key regions such as China, Europe, and the US face challenges due to high EV-per-charger ratios in direct current (DC) charging infrastructure since the imbalance has led to longer waiting times for EV owners, according to DIGITIMES' latest finding in its latest report, which added that the introduction of liquid-cooled ultrafast charging systems appears to have emerged as an optimal solution for high-power charging to address charging anxiety.
