Category: semiconductor

Taiwan Raids Chinese Firms in Latest Crackdown on Beijing’s Poaching of Chip Talent

Taiwan authorities this week raided 10 Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching chip engineers and other tech talents, the island’s investigation bureau said on May 26. “The illegal poaching of Taiwan’s high-tech talent by Chinese companies has severely impacted our international competitiveness and endangered our national security,” the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said in…


Toyota to Cut Global Production Plan by 100,000 in June

TOKYO—Toyota Motor Corp will cut its global production plan by about 100,000 to roughly 850,000 vehicles in June due to the semiconductor shortage, it said on Tuesday. The company did not change its estimate of producing about 9.7 million vehicles worldwide by March 2023. The automaker also announced additional domestic factory line suspension due to…


Biden Wraps Visit to South Korea, Highlights Hyundai’s Major US Investment Pledge

President Joe Biden wrapped up his South Korea visit by highlighting Hyundai Motor’s pledge to invest at least $10 billion in electric vehicles and related technologies in the United States. The three-day Biden-Yoon summit tended to various business and security interests, from supply chains to North Korea. On Sunday, May 22, the last day of…


First Biden-Yoon Summit Discusses North Korea, Supply Chains, and Security

President Joe Biden, on Friday, landed in South Korea on his first trip to Asia since taking office. The five-day itinerary, which will also take him to Japan, aims to strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances to counter Chinese influence. After touching down in Seoul, Biden first toured Samsung’s chip complex in Pyeongtaek, accompanied by the new South…


US and China Compete to Intensify Ties With New South Korean Leadership

News Analysis The United States and China are seeking to strengthen their ties with South Korea’s new conservative government. U.S. President Joe Biden lands in South Korea late Friday as part of a six-day trip that also includes Japan. Biden has of course, in advance, reaffirmed the need for a strong U.S.-South Korea alliance. Meanwhile,…


The Real Problem With CHIPS Subsidies

Commentary As the Senate and House of Representatives negotiate their so-called “China bill” or America COMPETES, one of the central issues is whether to give semiconductor companies subsidies to invest in the United States. This would be a big mistake. Like most of COMPETES, the bill’s $50 billion handout to the semiconductor industry has little…


Chinese Takeover of Semiconductor Plant a National Security ‘Test Case’ for UK Government, Say Lawmakers

Security fears are intensifying over the controversial takeover of Britain’s largest semiconductor plant by a state-backed Chinese company. Senior MPs in the ruling Conservative Party have called on the British government to deploy the new National Security and Investment Act and scrap the £63 million ($77 million) sale of Newport Wafer Lab to Wingtech Technology through…


South Korea’s Semiconductor Market Share Weakens, Samsung’s Leadership Called Into Question

A recent South Korean study shows the country’s semiconductor market share in China shrunk 5.5 percent compared to 2018, citing the effect of U.S. sanctions on China. According to the Yonhap News Agency, the study was conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), an economic association for domestic industries in South Korea. It analyzed…


Chip Shortage Leads Major Firm to Scavenge Semiconductors from Old Washing Machines

The global semiconductor shortage has led a major industrial conglomerate to resort to buying up old washing machines and removing chips from inside for use in their own products, according to the head of a supplier of key technologies to chipmakers. Peter Wennink, the CEO of ASML, a company that dominates the global market for…


Samsung Overtook Intel as Top Chip Seller in 2021 Thanks to Automotive, Smartphones

The global semiconductor revenue reached $595 billion in 2021, up 26.3 percent year-on-year, Gartner reports. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s chip business grew 28 percent Y/Y, while Intel Corp. lost 0.3 percent Y/Y. Now, Samsung tops the list with $73.2 billion in revenue and a 12.3 percent market share, while Intel with $72.5 billion in revenue and a 12.2…