GeoWatch

Essential technology and geopolitical news recap.

Essential technology and geopolitical news recap, GeoWatch, focuses on the tech supply chain, providing effortless insights.

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IN THE NEWS

Friday 23 January 2026

TikTok US joint venture formally established to comply with regulatory requirements

TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC has been officially established to meet the requirements of the Executive Order signed by US President Donald Trump on September 25, 2025. The move aims...

Friday 23 January 2026

EU's fuel-car ban reversal leaves Euro automakers scrambling against Chinese rivals

The EU's potential reversal of the 2035 ban on new gasoline and diesel vehicles is forcing European automakers to reconsider engine R&D. However, stringent emissions rules and...

Friday 23 January 2026

Analysis: How Howard Lutnick is redrawing the memory-chip map

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is driving a fundamental reordering of the global semiconductor supply chain. According to exclusive...

Wednesday 21 January 2026

China tightens rare earth export controls to Japan, further fueling geopolitical tensions

Chinese authorities have increased scrutiny on rare earth exports bound for Japan, as export volumes declined in December 2025 compared to the previous month. The move reflects Beijing's...

Wednesday 21 January 2026

South Korea plans US talks as chip tariffs heighten risks for Samsung, SK Hynix

South Korea said it will seek negotiations with the US after Washington imposed a 25% tariff on selected semiconductor products, a move that has placed the country's leading chipmakers,...

Tuesday 20 January 2026

Trump's Greenland ambition triggers EU tariff war, shipping rates plunge

The four-year Russia-Ukraine war stalemate persists, while escalating US-EU tensions linked to the US attempt to purchase Greenland have triggered retaliatory tariffs and market disruptions...

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...

Sunday 18 January 2026

South Korea signs IP pact again, China-linked tech leaks still dominate

South Korea's Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on intellectual property cooperation with China's National Intellectual Property Administration...

Sunday 18 January 2026

SK Hynix accelerates advanced packaging from Korea to Indiana

SK Hynix plans to invest KRW19 trillion, about US$12.9 billion, to build an advanced semiconductor packaging plant in Cheongju, South Korea, as it moves to secure capacity for AI-driven...

Friday 16 January 2026

Commentary: Taiwan-US form high-tech strategic partnership to counter China's rise

The long-discussed Taiwan-US tariff negotiations have finally concluded, agreeing on US$500 billion investment and reciprocal tariffs aligned with those of the EU, Japan, and South...

Friday 16 January 2026

US cuts Taiwan tariffs to 15%, ties relief to US chip factory expansion

The US and Taiwan reached a trade agreement on January 15, 2026 (US time), cutting reciprocal tariffs on most Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15% without stacking them onto existing most-favored-nation...

Friday 16 January 2026

Breaking down the strategic implications of the 15% tariff framework of the US-Taiwan trade deal

The United States and Taiwan formalized a significant trade and investment agreement on January 15, 2026, establishing a new framework for bilateral...

Thursday 15 January 2026

China takes cautious stance on US H200 chip export, prioritizes local chipmakers

The US government confirmed this week the conditions for exporting the H200 AI chip to China, reportedly including third-party lab testing before shipment to ensure compliance with...

Thursday 15 January 2026

Trump invokes Section 232 to levy 25% tariff on Nvidia H200, AMD MI325X chips

On January 14, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation invoking Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose an immediate 25% tariff on a narrow category of advanced...

Thursday 15 January 2026

Japan fortifies rare-earth supply chain against China risk

China has tightened export controls on rare earths and other dual-use materials bound for Japan, prompting Tokyo to formalise a rare-earth stockpiling policy and work with G7 partners...

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