The standoff between Japan and China over critical materials and rare earths shows no sign of easing. According to Kyodo News, citing data from China’s General Administration of Customs, exports of tungsten carbide and tungsten powder from China to Japan dropped to zero between February and April....

Amid disruptions in the Middle East, shortages of key materials are raising concerns across the global semiconductor supply chain. According to South China Morning Post, citing The Elec, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since early March, sharply curtailing supplies of naphtha—a ke...

Recent media reports indicate that some Japanese suppliers of tungsten hexafluoride (WF₆) have notified Korean semiconductor companies of possible disruptions in raw material supply, with existing inventories expected to last only until mid-2026. Industry observers warn that such supply constraint...

On March 25, compound semiconductor deposition equipment supplier AIXTRON announced plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia, aiming to strengthen its global competitiveness and capture opportunities arising from the rapidly growing semiconductor equipment ecosystem in Southeast A...

Japanese silicon wafer supplier SUMCO has announced a delay in the construction of two new wafer fabs, citing structural changes in the global semiconductor market. The company noted that while demand for wafers used in PCs and smartphones has stabilized, demand driven by generative AI is surging. A...