Supply Chain

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Beijing in April. "China remains a partner, a competitor and systemic rival, but the systemic rival position has gained ground in recent years," she said on July 13. 
Supply Chain

Germany lists grievances, seeks cooperation in first China strategy

Chinese embassy says challenges Berlin faces are not Beijing's doing

13 July 2023
A nickel mine in Indonesia. The Southeast Asian country is a leading producer of nickel, a key component in electric vehicle batteries.
Supply Chain

Japan and ASEAN plan new talks on bolstering supply chains

Two sides aim to upgrade partnership with eye on China

12 July 2023
Sumco's silicon wafers, one of the fundamental building blocks of semiconductors. Japan considers the domestic production of semiconductor materials as vital for the country's economic security. (Photo courtesy of Sumco)
Semiconductors

Japan to give $530m for new Sumco silicon wafer plants at home

Subsidy part of country's plans to bolster semiconductor supply chain

11 July 2023
Protectionist industrial policies take hold around the world as the WTO's dispute settlement system remains paralyzed.
Datawatch

Subsidies race casts pall over global free trade

Number of state handouts favoring local businesses rises 60% in 3 years

8 July 2023
 The Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine in California is the U.S.'s only active rare-earth producer. (Photo courtesy of MP Materials)
The Big Story

The U.S.-China rare earths battle

How one mine in California is trying to challenge Beijing's dominance

5 July 2023
China has released a new set of export control rules aimed at limiting exports of gallium and germanium and several compound metals. (Source photos by Getty and AP)
Semiconductors

China's chip material export curbs: 4 things to know

Restrictions on gallium and germanium shipments pose risks for global supply chain

4 July 2023
Beijing announced restrictions on the chipmaking material gallium days after reports that Washington is looking to tighten trade curbs against China's tech industry.
Semiconductors

China limits exports of chipmaking metals in trade spat with U.S.

Beijing's move follows talk of new semiconductor controls by Washington

4 July 2023
Foxconn is shifting into electric vehicles after years of reliance on iPhone assembly. 
Supply Chain

Foxconn to invest $250m in Vietnam to produce EV parts

Apple supplier plans 2 new factories to cut reliance on iPhones

4 July 2023
Plastic materials made by PI Advanced Materials are used in circuit boards.
Business deals

South Korea's PI Advanced Materials to be sold to France's Arkema for $760m

Plastics maker has expanded from smartphone to EV supply chains

30 June 2023
Construction of TSMC's chip plant in Arizona has already fallen behind schedule due to labor shortages and other factors. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang )
Semiconductors

TSMC to send hundreds more workers to speed U.S. plant construction

World's largest contract chipmaker faces delays in Arizona project as market slows

29 June 2023
Japan and Europe, along with the U.S., aim to ensure a secure and balanced supply of vital semiconductors.
Semiconductors

Japan and EU to share chip subsidy info to disperse production

Three-way exchange with U.S. aims for better supply chain distribution

29 June 2023
R&D investment is growing even more important in the semiconductor industry as chips become more advanced. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
Semiconductors

Japan's JSR takeover aims to fortify chip supply chain

Materials maker approached state-backed fund last year on possible deal

27 June 2023
LG Innotek is one of the world leaders in camera modules for smartphones. (Photo courtesy of LG Innotek)
Companies

LG Innotek to raise Vietnam phone camera output with $1bn investment

Move by Apple supplier will double production capacity

27 June 2023
Panasonic plans to invest  $70 million at its Kusatsu Plant in Shiga prefecture, in western Japan, to expand its air conditioner production capacity. (Photo by Koki Izumi)
Electronics

Panasonic moving some air conditioner output from China to Japan

Japanese electronics giant to spend $70m to raise domestic production

23 June 2023
Apple CEO Tim Cook greets customers at the company's first directly operated store in India in Mumbai on April 18. (Photo by Rohan Mistry)
Supply Chain

Tesla and Apple drive U.S. corporate pivot to India

Key companies pursue large investments in decoupling from China

23 June 2023
Christophe Fouquet, ASML's executive vice president and chief business officer. (Photo courtesy of ASML) 
Semiconductors

ASML says decoupling chip supply chain is practically impossible

Top equipment maker sources globally while keeping most production in Netherlands

22 June 2023
Honda is part of a global consortium seeking to set standards for battery passports that store automotive batteries' supply chain information. 
Automobiles

Honda, Ford join push to set rules for blockchain 'battery passport'

Auto industry prepares for EU requirements to record supply chain info

21 June 2023
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke to Nikkei on a shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo Station. (Photo by Shigeru Seno)
Interview

Buttigieg seeks closer Asian supply chain ties

U.S. transport chief calls Japan 'strong partner' as China tensions mount

17 June 2023
East Japan Railways used a Hayabusa bullet train to transport some freight from Aomori prefecture to Omiya station in Saitama prefecture on June 16. (Photo by Kai Ishizaki)
Transportation

Japan bullet train hauls freight, prepares for trucker shortage

JR East conducts trial before truck driver overtime regulation takes effect

16 June 2023
Toyota's bZ4X electric sport utility vehicle. The automaker is planning a major push to bolster production and development of batteries. (Photo Koji Uema)
Automobiles

Toyota to expand Japan EV battery output with $850m subsidy

Exclusive: Government aid will also go toward next-generation batteries

16 June 2023
Textile and apparel companies display goods at a trade show in Ho Chi Minh City: Manufacturers are grappling with weaker foreign demand and domestic turmoil. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Economy

Vietnam grapples with shrinking exports, power crunch

Economists downgrade forecasts, saying country 'not out of woods yet'

14 June 2023
Delivery times for some popular cars in Japan, such as the Toyota Yaris, have been cut in half, thanks to the easing of the chip shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
Automobiles

Japan sees shorter car delivery delays as chip crunch eases

Nissan Ariya, Toyota Yaris arrive faster but some models still scarce

9 June 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden at the IPEF launch in Tokyo in May 2022: Washington must do more to prove the viability of the new regional economic order it has been championing.
Opinion

Hollow supply chain pact no way to win over IPEF skeptics

U.S. should be offering to share stockpiles or compensate coercion victims

7 June 2023
Apple CEO Tim Cook poses next to the new Vision Pro headsets at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, on June 5.
Supply Chain

Apple Vision Pro raises hopes at Sony, other Japan suppliers

Parts makers stand to benefit -- if the pricey headset catches on

7 June 2023
Taiwanese footwear contract manufacturers have diversified production across Asia, such as with this factory in Cambodia.
Supply Chain

Taiwan shoemakers' steps away from China offer path for Foxconn

Footwear contract producers follow cheap labor to Southeast Asia, then India

4 June 2023