NATO chief voices full confidence in Trump
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed full confidence in U.S. President Donald Trump and defended his initiatives ahead of a plann...
Taiwanese semiconductor company Vanguard International Semiconductor has cautioned that U.S. tariffs on imported chips could trigger inflation and hamper global economic growth, though the firm expects any direct impact on its business to be minimal.
Speaking on a post-earnings call, Vanguard Chairman Leuh Fang adopted a “wait and see” approach amid uncertainty over how far the Trump administration will pursue its tariff threats. Last week, President Donald Trump announced plans to impose around 25% tariffs on auto imports as well as similar duties on semiconductors and pharmaceutical products - a move that could disrupt international trade flows.
"If tariffs are implemented... it will cause many impacts, from inflation to a decline in end-product purchasing power, and even affect expected economic growth," Fang told analysts. However, he added that Vanguard’s exposure is limited since the company manufactures legacy, or mature node chips used primarily in cars and display panels. “The proportion of our company’s semiconductor products directly exported to the U.S. and facing tariffs is very low,” he said.
The announcement comes as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to shape the global semiconductor market. Amid aggressive capacity expansion and steep price cuts by Chinese foundries, many American customers have begun shifting orders to Taiwanese suppliers- a trend that Fang expects will intensify.
In related news, industry rival TSMC is building chip factories in Arizona, while several Taiwanese laptop and AI server makers are also considering moves to expand U.S. production to circumvent potential tariff impacts. Notably, TSMC owns 27.15% of Vanguard’s shares, underlining the interconnected nature of the regional supply chain.
For the quarter ended December 31, Vanguard posted a 19.4% year-on-year increase in revenue to T$11.55 billion ($352 million) and a 48.7% jump in gross profit to T$3.314 billion, reflecting strong performance despite the broader market uncertainties.
As the global semiconductor industry braces for possible trade disruptions, Vanguard’s cautious outlook underscores the complex interplay between tariff policies, inflationary pressures, and shifting supply chains in an increasingly volatile economic environment.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
NASA has announced that it will reopen bidding for its flagship U.S. moon landing contract, citing mounting delays in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship lunar lander project.
China has accused the United States of stealing sensitive data and infiltrating its National Time Service Centre, warning that such breaches could have disrupted communications, financial systems, power supplies, and the international standard time network.
Chinese tech giants, including Alibaba-backed Ant Group (688688.SS) and e-commerce company JD.com have halted plans to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong after the government raised concerns about the increasing influence of privately controlled currencies, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
Apple has pledged to increase its investment in China despite ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing, CEO Tim Cook said during a meeting with China’s industry minister.
SpaceX launched its 11th Starship from Texas on 13 October, landing in the Indian Ocean ahead of testing an upgraded version for future moon and Mars missions.
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