Trump’s tariff reversals roil global markets, but Taiwan finds unexpected gains

Since returning to the office, President Donald Trump has once again made unpredictability a cornerstone of US trade policy. His shifting stance on tariffs, particularly toward China, has sent tremors through global supply chains. And yet, amid the turbulence, Taiwan has managed not only to hold its ground but also to benefit unexpectedly from the chaos.

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Honda plans investment in Rapidus to support Japan’s 2nm chip ambitions

Honda Motor is preparing to invest in Japanese semiconductor startup Rapidus during the second half of fiscal year 2025 (October 2025 to March 2026), with a commitment expected to reach several billion Japanese yen—equivalent to tens of millions of US dollars. The move underscores Honda’s strategic focus on securing next-generation semiconductor supply for future automotive technologies, particularly autonomous driving systems.

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Tokyo Electron to triple output with US$728 million smart fab

Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), Japan’s top semiconductor equipment manufacturer, held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 2, 2025, for its state-of-the-art production site in Taiwa, Miyagi Prefecture. Initially referred to as an expansion of its main plant, the facility has now been officially named the Miyagi Production Innovation Center. Scheduled for completion in the summer of 2027, the site is a cornerstone of TEL’s strategy to address surging global demand for advanced chipmaking equipment.

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China rolls out AI chip design system ‘Qimeng’ to cut reliance on US EDA tools

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has introduced an AI-driven chip design system named “Qimeng” (“Enlightenment”), signaling a major move in China’s drive to accelerate semiconductor innovation and cut dependence on US-origin electronic design automation (EDA) tools. The unveiling coincides with tighter US export controls targeting China’s access to critical chip design software.

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Trump’s tariff playbook faces legal and political scrutiny

Nearly five months into his second term, President Donald Trump’s high-wire approach to trade—defined by maximalist threats followed by strategic retreats—has once again put global markets and foreign capitals on edge. Critics and foreign media have taken to calling the strategy “TACO”—short for “Trump Always Chickens Out”—a jab at what they see as erratic tariff brinkmanship that ends in concessions.

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GEM sees May revenue decline amid China holidays, US tariff uncertainty

GEM Terminals (GEM) reported consolidated revenue of NT$248 million (approx. US$8.28 million) for May 2025, marking a 23.06% year-over-year drop and an 8.62% decline from April. The company attributed the weaker performance to fewer working days in China during the May holidays and the ongoing impact of uncertain US tariff policies, which have delayed shipments and prompted customers to deplete existing inventories.

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Coretronic expects June shipment surge amid quarter-end demand spike

Taiwanese display solution provider Coretronic Corp. reported unaudited consolidated revenue of NT$3.058 billion (approx. US$100 million) in May 2025, marking a 13% month-over-month increase from April’s NT$2.715 billion. However, the figure was still down 6% year-over-year compared with NT$3.261 billion in May 2024. For the first five months of 2025, cumulative revenue totaled NT$14.247 billion, a 9% decline from the same period a year ago.

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Memory price rally drives May gains for Adata and Team Group; 3Q outlook remains upbeat

Taiwan-based memory module vendors Adata Technology and Team Group Inc. saw notable revenue gains in May 2025, driven by continued price increases for DRAM and NAND flash. Adata reported NT$4.169 billion (approx. US$139.3 million) in consolidated revenue—its best May performance on record and highest monthly total since April 2010. Team Group posted NT$1.202 billion (approx. US$40.2 million), marking a 6.6% month-over-month rise and its second-best May result to date.

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Taiwan unveils breakthrough in 8-inch quantum chip fabrication

Academia Sinica announced on June 10, 2025, the successful development of several advanced fabrication processes for superconducting qubits on an automated 8-inch platform, positioning Taiwan to expand its leadership from semiconductors into quantum chipmaking. While Taiwan dominates global semiconductor manufacturing, the institute underscored that quantum chips demand fundamentally different process technologies, with process stability and uniformity still posing major hurdles to scalable quantum computing.

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