Semiconductor News 20260310

Main News

1. Nvidia to halt production of H200 for China and shift TSMC capacity to Vera Rubin
   Nvidia has decided to halt production of its H200 AI chip for China and shift TSMC’s valuable production capacity to its next-generation Vera Rubin chip. With the continued strict U.S. export restrictions on China, the strategy is to review production for the highly uncertain Chinese market and concentrate resources on mass production of next-generation architectures, for which demand is tightening worldwide. This is expected to further accelerate the competition among companies for AI supremacy.
2. Global Semiconductor Market Reaches Record High in January 2026 with 46% Yo Y Growth
   According to a survey by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), global semiconductor sales in January 2026 recorded a significant 46% YoY growth, reaching a record high for a single month. If this momentum continues, the annual market size is expected to reach $1 trillion. The data confirms that the industry as a whole is entering a new phase of growth beyond the silicon cycle.
3. Samsung and SK Hynix Selected as NVIDIA’s HBM4 Suppliers, Shipping in March
   Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have reportedly been named as suppliers of HBM4, the next-generation memory that will determine the performance of AI chips, for NVIDIA’s next-generation chip, Rubin. Shipments are expected to begin as early as March, and as the memory market enters a super-cycle due to exploding demand for AI infrastructure, both companies are rushing to expand production capacity in order to take the lead in the HBM market, and a fierce development and mass production race is in full swing.
4. Texas Instruments to Increase Prices by up to 85% Starting April 1
   Semiconductor giant Texas Instruments (TI) reportedly plans to raise product prices again starting April 1. According to reports, the increase could be up to 85%, as surging demand for AI, rising raw material costs, and geopolitical risks are driving price pass-through across the semiconductor industry, which is feared to have a significant impact on the supply chain for electronics products and the cost of manufacturing final products. There are concerns that this will have a significant impact on the supply chain of electronics products and the manufacturing costs of final products.
5. U. S. Considers Global Export License to Prevent AI Chip Leakage via Third Countries
   The U.S. government is considering introducing a global AI chip export license to curb the flow of cutting-edge AI semiconductors through third countries to countries of concern such as China. Even allied and friendly countries in the Middle East and Asia may be subject to rigorous screening, creating new constraints on the global semiconductor supply chain. This hard-line measure to prevent the risk of military diversion of technology will be watched closely as a move to further strengthen the U.S.-led government’s efforts to maintain its technological hegemony.
6. Tensions in the Middle East have caused tungsten prices to soar sixfold, increasing chip supply risks
   Geopolitical risks, including energy turmoil in the Middle East and the situation in Iran, are hitting the semiconductor industry hard. Chinese export restrictions combined with tensions with Japan have also caused the price of tungsten, an essential material for semiconductor manufacturing, to soar almost six-fold. Concerns have also arisen over TSMC’s electricity usage and the supply of bromine needed for DRAM manufacturing, and the combination of increased logistics costs and raw material shortages is rapidly increasing the risk of disruptions in the global semiconductor supply chain.
7. Apple Increases iPhone Fold Inventory by 20%, Suppliers to Benefit
   Apple is reportedly showing strong confidence in its ability to bring the company’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Fold, to market and has increased its initial inventory buildup by 20% more than planned. This bullish production plan will greatly benefit its main supplier, Taiwan’s Foxconn, as well as related companies such as TSMC, which is responsible for manufacturing cutting-edge chips. Expectations are high as to whether this will be a new catalyst for the smartphone market, which has been in a state of stagnation.
8. Mitsui & Co. form alliance with Kaynes and others to support OSAT business in India
   Mitsui & Co. of Japan has formed an alliance with Kaynes, a local company, and AOI Electronics of Japan to support the back-end semiconductor (assembly and testing: OSAT) business in India. As the Indian government strongly promotes the development of the semiconductor industry and the attraction of multinational companies to India, this is a move by Japanese companies to become deeply involved in the construction of the local supply chain by leveraging their technological and financial strengths, further deepening the strategic high-tech industrial collaboration between Japan and India.
9. China Warns that Dispute with Nexperia Could Cause New Global Semiconductor Shortage
   The Chinese government has strongly warned that a dispute over Nexperia (Ansei Semiconductor), a semiconductor company based in the Netherlands, could cause a new global semiconductor shortage. This is a form of China’s hard-line stance to protect its own supply chain and the interests of related companies amid tightening restrictions on semiconductors in China by Europe and the United States. High-tech friction between nations has led to direct intervention in the business activities of individual companies, causing ripples in the global market.
10. SUBARU and Infineon collaborate on design of in-vehicle microcontrollers for control-integrated ECUs
    Automaker SUBARU and leading semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies have announced that they will collaborate on the design of in-vehicle microcontrollers for control-integrated electronic control units (ECUs) that will be essential for next-generation vehicles. As the architecture of in-vehicle systems undergoes major changes in line with increasingly sophisticated electric vehicle (EV) and automated driving technologies, the two companies aim to ensure stable procurement of safe and efficient components through collaboration between automakers and semiconductor manufacturers from the early development stage.

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