Carmakers are reportedly amassing automotive chips and other parts to prevent further impacts of their shortages. In fiscal 2021 (April 2021 to March 2022), Japan-based Toyota Motor registered a year-on-year growth of inventory assets by 32%, about JPY1 trillion (US$7.73 billion).

IC production in China represented 16.7% of its US$186.5 billion IC market in 2021, up from 12.7% 10 years earlier in 2011, according to IC Insights. The share is forecast to increase by 4.5pp from 2021 to 21.2% in 2026, or a 0.9pp per-year gain on average, said the research firm.

通膨、战争与疫情等不利因素引发黑天鹅效应，不仅重伤笔电厂，现在也往上游半导体业延烧，尤其是近来疲软的面板业率先受害，不仅报价跌破2020低点，研调机构更预估，面板厂第二季将出现亏损，业界传出，已有驱动IC厂开出第一枪，大砍晶圆代工投片量，幅度高达2至3成，接下来还有消费性IC业者也酝酿砍单，一场半导体「砍单风暴」即将来临。