DIGITIMES 2025 Tech Forum reveals six key trends for Asia supply chains. 🔊 First Event: inaugural analysis of future trends.🔊 First Hand: DIGITIMES Research unveils key data for the tech industry.🔊 First Wave: Analysts provide an in-depth breakdown of critical tech trends

The Trump administration announced a new 20% reciprocal #tariff rate on #Taiwan, a reduction from the initially proposed 32% but still an impactful figure. Despite that, local industries are well-prepared and believe the blow will be manageable.

#Foxconn and #Teco Electric & Machinery unveiled a strategic alliance on July 30 via a share swap deal, teaming up to develop standardized, modular AI data centers. Their debut project is expected to tie into the US-led "#Stargate" initiative.

At #WAIC2025, Chinese #AI chipmakers announced major advances in high-end chip design, manufacturing, and deployment, reflecting #China's broader push to build a homegrown AI compute ecosystem.

Ian Yang, #Intel China's former president who was once dubbed the "AMD killer" for his ruthless campaign against AMD, has made a shocking career pivot — joining #AMD as a senior executive.

#Tesla has signed a 7.5-year, US$16.5 billion contract with #Samsung to produce its next-generation A16 chip using Samsung's 2nm process at its Texas facility. The deal represents a significant boost for Samsung.

President Donald Trump revealed he once considered breaking up #Nvidia to spur competition in the US AI chip sector. Industry sources, however, argue the real candidate for government intervention isn't Nvidia — it's #Intel.

In exchange for better #tariff rates, #Japan has pledged to invest US$550 billion in the US economy under a sweeping trade deal unveiled on July 22, 2025.

On July 22, 2025, Voltaria, an automotive brand under #Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT), announced that its AC charging stations have officially obtained certification from #SaudiArabia's SASO.

#China's top #memory chipmakers, CXMT and YMTC, have nearly doubled their output in just over a year, raising concerns in South Korea, where incumbent leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are based.

#Rapidus has unveiled a working 2nm chip prototype, advancing #Japan's efforts to reestablish a foothold in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing.

#TSMC has shrugged off currency volatility, reciprocal tariff threats, and looming chip trade duties to raise its 2025 US dollar revenue growth forecast from 25% to 30%.

At a keynote at the China International Supply Chain Expo on July 16, #Nvidia CEO #JensenHuang spotlighted 10 Chinese tech firms as key contributors to both domestic AI deployment and global innovation momentum.

#Uber is accelerating its global robotaxi expansion through a landmark multiyear alliance with China's #Baidu. This renewed partnership is rekindling ties from a strategic investment over a decade ago.

With TSMC dominating foundry orders for data center AI accelerators, second-tier players like UMC, #GlobalFoundries (GF), and SMIC are urgently repositioning to tap into the AI market. Each is adopting a unique strategy to stay relevant.

The #EU has released the Code of Practice for General-Purpose #AI Models (GPAI). However, the timeline is tight, and the industry is calling for a delay in enforcement.

China Northern Rare Earth and Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union — two of #China's top #RareEarths producers — announced a price hike of 14.14% YoY for rare earth concentrates in the third quarter.

#TSMC reported consolidated revenue of NT$263.709 billion for June 2025, down 17.7% from May due to the sharp appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar. However, the figure still set a new record for June.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed reciprocal #tariffs on imports from 14 countries, maintaining #Thailand's rate at 36%, effective August 1, 2025.

Chinese EV manufacturer #BYD is set to officially commence operations at its #Brazil car plant in July 2025. However, the plant will likely not reach full production capacity until July 2026.

The Trump administration's moves to block Chinese #solar firms with US plants are unlikely to have much effect, as Chinese firms have been filing #patent lawsuits in the US against their competitors.