China has launched an antitrust probe into Google as its first major countermeasure against US President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese imports. On February 1, 2025, Trump announced a 10% tariff hike on Chinese goods, further intensifying trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Amid the rapid development of the optoelectronics industry, breakthroughs in Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) testing technology are transforming the global market landscape. Ivy Ko, chairperson of EnliTech, stated that they have successfully achieved profits exceeding the entire 2023 revenue in the first three quarters of 2024 by offering high-performance testing technologies across fields such as image sensor chips, LiDAR, and silicon photonics. The company is expected to see double-digit revenue growth in 2025.
Taiwan's total machine tool exports dropped 14.8% year-over-year to US$2.218 billion in 2024, prompting the government to introduce measures aimed at revitalizing the industry. The Industrial Development Administration (IDA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has included machine tools as a demonstration case in its "Pilot Program for Promoting the Introduction of Generative AI in Various Industries," aiming to address four major pain points plaguing Taiwan's machine tool industry.
In January 2025, Qisda's consolidated revenue reached NT$16.538 billion (approx. US$503.5 million), reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.6%, but a month-over-month decrease of 12.3%.
HTC has secured a US$250 million deal with Google for the non-exclusive rights to its extended reality (XR) patents. In exchange, the tech giant will receive a portion of HTC's research and development personnel.
BizLink Holding, a connector and wire company, saw a boost in product shipments that helped it overcome the impact of the Lunar New Year holidays, achieving a record revenue of NT$5.555 billion (approx. US$169 million) in January 2025. This represents an increase of 19.68% sequentially and 30.53% annually.
The robotics industry is attracting significant attention, with the latest data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) revealing that the global industrial robotics market has reached a record-high valuation of US$16.5 billion.
To further redefine its market image, Aaeon announced at the close of 2024 its brand optimization initiative, designating 2025 as the official "Brand Year." This move will include the introduction of a refreshed corporate identity and logo, to solidify Aaeon's position within the industry while reinforcing its core ethos throughout this extensive rebranding process.
Amid rising global protectionism, particularly driven by US President Donald Trump's policies, Taiwanese manufacturers face mounting pressure to invest in the US. In response to these challenges, President Ching-te Lai reaffirmed Taiwan's commitment to promoting investment and maintaining a favorable business climate during a Lunar New Year gathering on February 3, 2025.
German semiconductor giant Infineon has reported better-than-expected performance after a prolonged industry downturn, demonstrating resilience by raising its full-year financial forecast while providing a glimmer of hope for the semiconductor sector. However, the company cautioned that new tariffs from President Donald Trump's administration could lead to retaliatory duties, negatively impacting its operations.
While US President Donald Trump's recent suspension of tariffs on Canada and Mexico aligns with his characteristic unpredictability, it has heightened concerns about future trade policy directions. Server ODM sources indicate that US clients take the tariff threat seriously and have accelerated their manufacturing relocation plans in reaction.
US President Donald Trump has delayed imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico for 30 days, after a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Tariffs initiated by US President Donald Trump may soon extend to Taiwan, potentially driving up costs, triggering supply chain shifts, and reshaping market dynamics, according to sources at Taiwan-based IC distributors.
On February 1, 2025, the US government imposed a 10% tariff on all Chinese exports, citing fentanyl-related concerns. The new tariffs will take effect on February 4, escalating trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.
HTC has agreed to transfer its XR development team to Google for US$250 million, including non-exclusive licensing of its XR patents. This strategic move has sparked varied reactions across the industry, prompting DIGITIMES to investigate key market concerns.
Component manufacturers foresee that the emergence of DeepSeek may attract the interest of additional enterprises engaged in innovative AI applications, stimulate the advancement of further AI application services, and accelerate the dissemination of AI applications within edge devices.
Pegatron has disclosed that it has reduced its holding in an Indian subsidiary to 40%, confirming reports saying India's Tata Electronics has acquired a 60% stake in the Taiwanese maker's iPhone manufacturing plant in the South Asian country.
The emergence of Chinese AI model DeepSeek has sparked concerns over demand for high-end AI servers, raising fears of a potential blow to Taiwan's server ODMs. However, industry insiders say the market's reaction is overblown. AI server shortages persist, while ODMs have long been preparing for the shift toward edge AI, anticipating its eventual boom.
Amid US President Donald Trump's new wave of protectionist policies, Taiwan must reexamine how to deepen its mutually beneficial trade partnership with the US.
President Donald Trump agreed to delay 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month after both US neighbors agreed to take tougher measures to combat migration and drug trafficking at the border, warding off a continental trade war for now.
US President Donald Trump's latest tariff strategy comes as a major blow to manufacturers who have already invested in acquiring land for factory construction in Mexico. Given that the majority of Taiwanese manufacturers' customers are in the US, it is likely that they will expand their facilities in the US in the future.
Optiemus Electronics, an India-based electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has formed a strategic partnership with China-based TP-Link to manufacture networking devices and smart home products in India. The collaboration supports the country's 'Make in India' initiative while reinforcing India's position as a global manufacturing hub.
China's AI sector is transitioning from massive model development to inference applications. While tech giants like ByteDance and Alibaba have constructed large GPU clusters, much of this computing power remains idle due to inefficient planning and technical limitations. Despite substantial investment in AI data centers, China's GPU utilization rate stands at only 30%, with hardware and software constraints further impeding efficiency.
President Trump's administration has escalated trade tensions since taking office, implementing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on Chinese imports since February 1, 2025. The administration is considering additional tariffs targeting semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum, copper, and oil and gas by mid-February. Potential tariff measures against the European Union are also under consideration.
The emergence of China's AI model DeepSeek has stirred the industry, highlighting the potential of open-source technology. Acer CEO Jason Chen noted that the future will see multiple AI models, spurring diverse usage and increasing demand for end devices.