The US decision to cut tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15% signals deeper cooperation in semiconductors, defense, and AI. However, Taiwanese firms still face high barriers entering tightly regulated defense and aerospace supply chains.

Rising precious metal prices are rippling through the LED industry, prompting Chinese manufacturers to issue price increase notices and pushing Taiwanese suppliers to consider similar moves. Taiwan-based LED maker Edison Opto has already announced broad price increases, while peers including Ennostar and Everlight Electronics are said to be internally evaluating their pricing strategies as cost pressures mount.

Booming demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers has fueled strong momentum for electronic manufacturing services (EMS) firms, with the surge also reflected in capital markets. However, performance has varied widely among companies. Pegatron chairman TH Tung said that his company’s efforts over the past two to three years will pay off with triple-digit growth in 2026. He described the AI industry as entering a phase of aggressive expansion and expressed optimism that 2026 will be a year of unstoppable momentum.

Hyundai Motor is establishing a specialized parts procurement organization to build a scalable mass production system for its robotics business, focusing on securing the global supply chain of key components such as actuators. This strategic move aims to prepare Hyundai for future market demands in humanoid robots.