As 2026 begins, demand for fan motors remains strong. On top of continued cooling needs driven by cloud servers, new fan upgrade and increased usage requirements are emerging across the edge computing segment. AI PCs are driving more dual-fan designs, while automotive and industrial control sectors are also expanding their fan usage. The motor driver IC opportunities behind these trends are expected to become a major development focus for many Taiwanese analog chip makers in 2026. Weltrend Semiconductor, Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), and Anpec Electronics are all expected to see stable support for their operations this year.

While the recent announcement that the US will lower tariffs on Taiwanese exports from 20% to 15% was welcomed by officials in Taipei as a diplomatic milestone, the reaction within the semiconductor supply chain has been more measured.

The North American automotive landscape is cloaked in strategic uncertainty. In a move that has captured international attention, Canada recently announced a dramatic, one-time reduction of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 6.1%—a full 100% cut—while setting an initial import cap of 49,000 vehicles per year, gradually rising to 70,000 over five years.