Taiwan and Germany recorded a 2% growth in bilateral trade in the first quarter of 2025, reaching US$5 billion despite mounting geopolitical tensions and concerns over US tariff policies, according to the German Trade Office Taipei (GTO).
Volkswagen’s software arm Cariad SE and Chinese AI chipmaker Horizon Robotics have jointly developed their first autonomous driving system under the Carizon venture, which will debut at Auto Shanghai starting April 23.
Amid ongoing tariff disputes, the semiconductor industry is facing a severe test. In addition to the imminent semiconductor tariffs promised by US President Donald Trump, which remain somewhat ambiguous, concerns regarding whether demand for AI chips can continue to grow are rising.
STMicroelectronics plans to cut 3,000 jobs by 2027, timing the announcement just ahead of its first-quarter 2025 earnings call on April 24. The preemptive move appears designed to offload negative news early and signal a strategic reset as the company navigates mounting macroeconomic and industry headwinds.
The recent earnings call from TSMC conveyed an optimistic message. However, downstream brand manufacturers are adopting a more cautious stance regarding future market demand changes. Brand manufacturers believe that the US-China tariff war will disrupt supply chains, and any additional costs incurred from relocation will not only be shared across the supply chain but also reflected in the end market, potentially affecting consumer purchasing power.
Is there a rift within Trump’s camp over tariffs? Al Jazeera raised that very question as tensions flared between key figures in early April. Between April 5 and 8, a very public clash between Elon Musk and White House trade advisor Peter Navarro—chief architect of the “reciprocal tariff” strategy—thrust internal divisions at the White House into the spotlight.