Industrial News

After two frustrating years of Covid-induced economic slowdown, Vietnam bounced back in 2022 with a strong performance — its GDP grew more than 8%. In 2023, the government hoped that a stronger Chinese and global economy would allow a continuation of export-led growth, including growth in tourism and related services. Projections, or hopes, were for 6% to 7% GDP growth. But both the world and China proved to have less demand for Vietnam’s exports than hoped. Now even Vietnam’s prime minister is suggesting growth of “around 5%”, which is close to the 4.7% estimated for 2023 by the International Monetary Fund. Exports fell 5.7% in [...]

—Part of an ongoing EE Times series: A Vulnerable U.S. Electronics Supply Chain. Previous parts can be found here. A manufacturing alliance that Apple, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Amkor formed last month will help rebuild a semiconductor supply chain in the U.S., experts told EE Times. Amkor, the world’s second-largest chip packager, said it plans to build a $2 billion assembly-and-test facility in Arizona to support TSMC’s nearby semiconductor plant that’s under construction. With Apple as one of the largest customers, Amkor expects the facility to be the biggest advanced packaging operation in the U.S. Reviving U.S. chip fabrication, at the apex [...]

October increase marks eighth consecutive month of month-to-month market growth; worldwide chip sales down 0.7% year-to-year in October WASHINGTON—Dec. 4, 2023—The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced global semiconductor industry sales totaled $46.6 billion during the month of October 2023, an increase of 3.9% compared to the September 2023 total of $44.9 billion but 0.7% less than the October 2022 total of $46.9 billion. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms. Additionally, a new WSTS [...]

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 16) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is keen to forge ties with the United States in the expansion of semiconductor industry in the Philippines. Marcos told the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in the US that the Philippine government and the private sector are ready to work with the American group if it plans to invest in the country. “You can depend on partners in the Philippines that we are ready to work with you," said Marcos in a roundtable discussion with the SIA on Wednesday. "From the government, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Board [...]

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Friday reported it secured P20.6 billion in investment leads and pledges from Taiwanese investors, particularly in the area of packaging manufacturing, among others. In news statement, the investment promotion agency said it partnered with Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Taipei (PTIC-Taipei) in leading a 5-day outbound mission to Taiwan for the 2023 Philippine Investment Forum, an annual gathering of Taiwan companies and associations interested in investing and doing business in the Philippines. PEZA said one “promising” investment lead is a consortium of Japanese and Taiwanese firms that will engage in the business of compostable [...]

Universal Power Solutions Inc. (UPSI) is borrowing P40 billion to finance its battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, the unit of San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. said. In a filing, the power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said UPSI entered into financing agreements for the BESS projects built or to be built across multiple sites in the country. SMC had said that it plans to put up a total of 32 BESS network with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatt hours (MWh). San Miguel Global Power will guarantee the loan, which will be divided into two tranches—P12 [...]

TOKYO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Merger talks between Western Digital (WDC.O) and Japan's Kioxia Holdings have stalled, two sources said on Friday, as opposition from Kioxia investor SK Hynix has complicated the on-again, off-again deal to create a memory chip giant. South Korea's SK Hynix (000660.KS), itself a major memory chip maker and rival to both companies, on Thursday said it did not back the deal, citing the potential impact on the value of its investment in Kioxia. That opposition had effectively frozen the deal, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The two people also cited a [...]

MANILA, Philippines — As Vietnam builds a strategy to develop its semiconductor industry, the Philippines should focus more on its local semiconductor sector to be able to compete in attracting investments, an industry group said. In an interview with reporters, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) president Dan Lachica said the Philippines is being overtaken by Vietnam in terms of semiconductor output as it builds a strategy to develop the industry. According to a report from online newspaper VietnamPlus, Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the country is creating a development strategy and a human [...]

Foton PH to boost parts availability in Visayas with upcoming spare parts warehouse Months after inaugurating a brand new spare parts depot in Davao, Foton Motor Philippines Inc (FMPI) is raising the aftersales bar once again in commercial vehicle ownership with the recent signing ceremony of its upcoming Cebu Parts Distribution Hub. The huge parts warehouse was opened in partnership with logistics and supply chain management specialists FastEasy and Foton International. The partnership signing ceremony was attended by officers and executives from the three companies, led by Foton Motor Philippines General Manager Levy Santos, Foton International’s Parts Manager Duke Han [...]

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Amkor of the U.S. debuted a $1.6 billion chip factory in Vietnam for packaging and testing on Wednesday, the latest in a string of foreign semiconductor investments in the Southeast Asian country. The Nasdaq-listed company said the plant will use its most advanced technology and focus on memory, design and electrical testing services for automotive, communications and advanced computing clients. Amkor is a market leader for systems-in-package (SiP) technology, in which several chips are placed in a single carrier package, though Luxshare and Goertek across the border in China are catching up. It said SiP [...]