A Taiwan-US supply chain partnership forum held in Taipei alongside the US Business Day on September 19 saw delegations of government and corporate representatives from both sides exploring investment and cooperation opportunities in the fields of cybersecurity, 5G communication and electric vehicles. Key American delegates included Laurie Locascio, director of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and concurrently the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, as well as Arizona governor Katie Hobbs and New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Semiconductor manufacturers worldwide are projected to increase 200mm fab capacity by 14% from 2023 through 2026, adding 12 new 200mm fabs as the industry reaches a record high of more than 7.7 million wafers per month, according to SEMI.
China-based EV maker BYD has been scaling up in overseas markets. Besides the competition with Tesla, its entry into the Thai market has garnered much attention. Support from Taiwan-based automotive parts suppliers has become essential for the carmaker's ambition in foreign markets.
Amid a ramping up of import substitution, China may require EV suppliers to reduce sourcing of foreign-made components, a sign showing the global EV ecosystem may see a decoupling after the ICT supply chain
Semiconductor material distributors, such as Niching Industrial, Chang Wah Technology (CWTC), Topco Scientific, and Wahlee Industrial, continue to observe relatively stable demand for automotive chips and advanced packaging, while demand for mass-market consumer devices remains slow, according to industry sources.
The biggest debate for sell-side analysts covering Chinese equities these days centers around a $31 billion question: what is the outlook for XPeng Inc. The divide is sending shares on quite a roller-coaster ride.
V. Lee, the Foxconn representative in India, said in a LinkedIn post that the group aims for another doubling of employment, FDI, and business size in India. Lee did not elaborate on the timeline of Foxconn's expansion plan in India. According to Reuters, Foxconn employs 40,000 people in India.
Chinese EVs are establishing a foothold in the European market. The European Commission has said it will launch an anti-subsidy investigation on cheap EVs imported from China. EV suppliers said it is necessary for Chinese companies to develop overseas markets. However, the concern about data privacy, which has emerged in several sectors, will likely hinder their efforts.
As the automotive industry gets out of the downturn, sales have grown steadily. Taiwan-based automotive safety parts suppliers Iron Force Industrial Co. and Orange Electronic both said industry recovery has benefited their operations.
Autonomous driving solutions developer Mobileye and China-based automaker FAW announced on September 14 that they have established a strategic partnership. Mobileye's SuperVision and Chauffeur platforms will enable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on FAW's vehicles starting at the end of 2024.
Tesla's Mexican plant is under construction. Besides the EV giant, emerging US carmakers like Lucid and Rivian and veteran General Motors and Ford all plan to set up a production base at the US-Mexico border. Monterrey and Juarez City host most of the companies.
