TSMC issued its first drone procurement tender for workplace safety and factory inspections at its Arizona facility, with partner selection expected in the second half of 2025. The move signals the world's largest contract chipmaker's push into unmanned aerial systems as part of broader smart manufacturing initiatives.
During the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang spoke with Jian Wang, director of the Zhejiang Lab and founder of Alibaba Cloud. They exchanged perspectives on AI evolution paths, foundational technologies, research influence, and the open-source ecosystem.
TSMC recently released its outlook during an investor conference, spotlighting artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as key growth areas. TSMC chairman C.C. Wei highlighted the promising future of humanoid robots, citing a client's view that electric vehicles (EVs) pale in comparison to the robotics market, which is expected to be ten times larger than EVs. Robotics supply chain companies acknowledge short-term challenges due to reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US, affecting client capital expenditures. However, they remain optimistic about the medium- to long-term prospects.
Alphabet, Google's parent company, will hold a Made by Google hardware event on August 20, 2025, in New York. The event will feature new products and is expected to include a key meeting between Foxconn chairman Young Liu and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, with growing speculation about possible partnerships in electric and autonomous vehicles.
Although the US has yet to finalize its reciprocal tariffs on Taiwan, Taiwanese AI server manufacturers have already taken aggressive preemptive measures. In the first half of 2025, outbound investment filings from the sector soared ninefold, with companies channeling funds through offshore tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands to establish assembly plants in the US and Mexico.
The US's reciprocal tariff policy has posed serious challenges for many export-oriented countries, with Taiwan hit by a 32% levy when the policy was first announced in April 2025. After a 90-day suspension and another postponement, the Trump administration has announced that the policy will take effect on August 1, by which point nearly all imports to the US will be subject to reciprocal tariffs, whether or not the exporting country has received a formal notice.
TSMC chairman C.C. Wei recently revealed that major US tech clients anticipate the business potential of humanoid robots to be more than ten times that of electric vehicles (EVs). This has sparked widespread attention on who will emerge as the biggest winner in the AI robot era.
Teco Electric & Machinery has won new data center construction contracts in Malaysia after acquiring NCL Energy Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. The projects in Selangor and Johor Bahru will add 178MW of construction capacity, with contract values close to MYR170 million (US$40.1 million). This growth is fueled by rising demand for AI and hyperscale data centers in the region.
Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 14 to 20, 2025. The top three topics include Nvidia teams up with Micron for a major SOCAMM rollout, aiming to challenge high-bandwidth memory. Moreover, Nvidia begins limited GB300 AI server production. For China's semiconductor sector, Huawei's "Little HiSilicon" launches a wide range of chips, including its first RISC-V models.
India is considering easing foreign direct investment (FDI) restrictions on Chinese companies, signaling a potential policy shift driven by both economic and diplomatic calculations.
Tesla finally set up its first show room in India after a nine-year journey amid steep Indian duties against importe vehicles. India looks to attract investments from financial institutions to Gujarat as the state is building itself as a chip hub.
Transforming from an automation equipment manufacturer, Aurotek has treated its integrated robot solution business as a second growth curve and has reaped the benefits reflected in its 2024 revenue. Chairman Terry Cheng stated that Aurotek's lineup of robots for the automation business will be operational priorities.
Eikei chairman Shih-Lin Liu stated that the impact of tariffs and exchange rates has temporarily eased, with customer orders gradually stabilizing. Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, following small-scale deliveries of US-based AI server cooling distribution unit (CDU) boards starting from the second quarter, the company expects a stable surge in orders in the third quarter, potentially driving an operational split of 40% in the first half and 60% in the second half of the year.
On July 18, 2025, in Beijing, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao attended a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on the country's high-quality fulfillment of targets set for the 14th Five-Year Plan period. He announced that on July 17, he met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Beijing, signaling China's continued engagement with American high-tech companies.
Pegatron Chairman T.H. Tung welcomed the sharp reduction in US tariffs on Indonesian exports to 19%—the lowest among Asian countries to date—as a timely boost for the company's newly ramped-up production facility in Batam. He noted that the cut offers Taiwanese companies with operations in Southeast Asia a stronger foothold in global tech competition.
As part of a dramatic realignment in trade policy, US President Donald Trump has imposed a 30% tariff on goods imported from Mexico while reducing tariffs on Vietnamese exports to the US from 46% to 20%. The move is part of a newly announced "tariff framework agreement" between Washington and Hanoi.
India's electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector is gaining momentum amid global supply chain realignment. Kaynes Electronics will invest INR3.52 billion to build a new high-tech facility in Bhopal, highlighting Central India's growing role in the country's push to attract electronics production beyond China.
Nvidia announced at China's International Supply Chain Expo that its H20 chips received US government approval to resume sales in the world's second-largest economy, marking a pivotal moment for the semiconductor giant's efforts to regain lost ground in a critical market.
As the 90-day grace period for reciprocal tariffs ends, the Trump administration has sent tariff notices to trade partners. Effective August 1, 2025, Japan and South Korea will face 25% tariffs; Canada will face 35%; and the EU and Mexico will face 30%. While the negotiation window remains open, at least a 10% tariff is expected, stirring the pot for global tariff uncertainty.
The US has yet again extended the deadline for its reciprocal tariff negotiations to August 1, leaving many exporters on edge. US policy mainly aims to control China's low-priced dumping. Many countries' customs agencies have launched strict inspections to prevent becoming unwitting conduits for China's origin-washing and counterfeit rebranding.
In a stunning about-face that has left the tech industry reeling, US President Donald Trump has abruptly lifted export restrictions on H20 AI chips to China—effectively erasing months of stringent semiconductor sanctions overnight.
Since taking office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has launched a series of economic and trade policies aimed at achieving fair and reciprocal trade with foreign countries, reindustrializing the US, bringing supply chains to the US, and maintaining American leadership in AI.
At a forum hosted by Deloitte Taiwan on July 15, titled "Navigating the US-Vietnam Trade Shift: Strategies for Taiwanese Businesses," experts warned that amid rising geopolitical tensions and global trade realignments, Taiwanese companies can no longer depend on tariff-driven strategies or low-cost production models, as growing uncertainties continue to reshape global supply chains.
As the US recalibrates its tariff rates for global trade partners, Taiwan is striving to secure a rate below 25%, arguing that its economic and strategic contributions rival or even surpass those of other nations. Brazil is facing a sharp increase in tariffs to 50%, while Japan and South Korea have been set at 25%. Taiwan's tariff rate, however, has yet to be announced.
The US is intensifying efforts to reshape the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) landscape, tightening oversight of the drone supply chain in a bid to reclaim technological leadership and fortify national security. At the center of this strategy is the Blue UAS Cleared List—a Defense Department-approved roster of drone makers deemed safe for government use. While inclusion isn't limited to US companies, industry officials say the criteria have quietly expanded to favor American-made drones, pushing foreign suppliers to bring production stateside if they want access to the lucrative US market.
