11
Mar
Amid rising global protectionism and US president Donald Trump’s push to reduce trade deficits, Japan’s automotive industry is undergoing a deep strategic shift. Honda Motor recently announced that it plans to reverse-import its US-made, US-spec car models into Japan, following a similar move by market leader Toyota Motor. Nissan Motor is also expected to follow suit.
11
Mar
Texas Instruments reportedly plan analog chip price hikes
Market sources say analog chip design leader Texas Instruments (TI) is preparing to raise prices on a range of semiconductor products starting in April 2026. The scale of the increases across different product lines and the outcomes will depend on negotiations between TI and its customers.
11
Mar
Sercomm expects memory shortages and price hikes to last until end of 2026
Sercomm chairman James Wang predicted that memory shortages and price increases will persist through the end of 2026, influenced by Middle East conflicts affecting AI data center investments and consumer reactions to smartphone price hikes.
11
Mar
Japan’s investment list targets AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors
Japan selected 61 products and technologies for priority investment, including 27 items already under early review, such as physical AI systems, regenerative medicine, quantum computing, and marine drones, the government said, according to Bloomberg.
11
Mar
Nvidia audits Samsung HBM4 packaging for Rubin GPUs, report says
Nvidia has reportedly conducted a series of closely spaced visits to Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor packaging campus in Cheonan, South Korea, signaling that verification of the next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chain is entering a final stage.
11
Mar
JCET opens automotive and robotics chip packaging plant in Shanghai Lingang
JCET, China’s leading semiconductor packaging and testing provider, has launched a facility focused on automotive electronics and robotics chips, strengthening the country’s vehicle-grade semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.
11
Mar
Vivo targets 20% growth for Taiwan phone sales in 2026 despite component price hikes
Vivo unveiled its V70 series in Taiwan on the March 10, aiming to drive continued growth in its 2026 local operations by bringing flagship features to a broader audience. Although Taiwan’s smartphone market is expected to slow in 2025 due to high penetration rates and the price of components continues to rise, Vivo Taiwan President Yi-ting Chen said the company plans to boost revenue by 30% and increase shipment volume by 20% through targeted product segmentation and innovative marketing strategies.
11
Mar
Jarllytec expects short-term trough as new hinge shipments begin
Bearing manufacturer Jarllytec said February 2026 will be a short-term operational trough as it ships new Chinese foldable smartphone hinges, with gradual recovery expected as shipments of Chinese smartphones and US-brand notebooks pick up.
11
Mar
MediaTek CEO: Advanced chip production due for a global rebalance
MediaTek CEO Ricky Tsai recently discussed artificial intelligence, semiconductor geopolitics, and MediaTek’s evolving strategy in an interview with an English-language publication. He also reflected on his academic background and career path, as well as his approach to work and life.
11
Mar
India’s Optiemus approves further equity investments in two wholly owned subsidiaries
Optiemus Infracom Limited informed stock exchanges that its Operations & Administration Committee approved further investments in two wholly owned subsidiaries in a meeting held on March 9.