Supply Chain

Kaga Electronics had received requests from customers to diversify production and to avoid supply chain disruptions.
Semiconductors

Turkey's geography lures Japanese electronics contractor Kaga

Semiconductor trader to add new plant, with eye on Middle Eastern and European demand

27 December 2021
China has been testing crew members before they dock at Chinese ports and imposing 14-day quarantines on all onboard even if only one person is infected with COVID, according to shipping companies. (Source photo by Reuters)
Supply Chain

China's tightening COVID controls add to global logistics woes

Port congestion, high airfreight costs weigh on suppliers, with no end in sight

24 December 2021
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Podcast

Asia Stream: The stories that mattered in 2021

A look back at biggest stories of the year and what to expect in 2022

24 December 2021
McDonald's restaurants in Japan will only sell small portions of french fries for a week starting on Friday, with the pandemic and floods in Canada causing problems in its supply chain. (Source photo by Kosaku Mimura and McDonald's)
Food & Beverage

Japan fast-food chains face potato shortage due to supply crunch

McDonald's follows KFC in limiting french fries due to shipping delays

23 December 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with his Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and private sector CEOs at the White House on Dec. 22.
Supply Chain

'Christmas is saved': White House says supply chain crisis averted

Biden touts progress after meeting FedEx, GAP leaders

23 December 2021
A man and his child stand in flood water in Shah Alam, Selangor state after exceptionally heavy rains caused flash flooding over the weekend.
Natural disasters

Panasonic, Daihatsu halt Malaysian plants after flash floods

Production at Panasonic plant will cease for a week, Daihatsu uncertain

22 December 2021
With the facility it is building in eastern China, Luxshare aims to assemble millions of iPhones as early as next year. (Photo by Shunsuke Tabeta) 
Supply Chain

China's Luxshare builds iPhone mega-plant to challenge Foxconn

Chinese assembler makes aggressive bid to expand in Apple supply chain

22 December 2021
Global demand for rare earths is estimated to surge by as much as a factor of 13 by 2040.
Politics

Japan to limit rare-earth mining to protect offshore deposits

State-backed company to invest in projects to speed up development

22 December 2021
Toyota Tsusho's pilot test will make use trucks powered by fuel cells. (Photo courtesy of Toyota Tsusho)
Climate Change

Port of LA to test manure-derived hydrogen as fuel for trucks, cranes

Japan's Toyota Tsusho launches pilot to tap renewable energy source

22 December 2021
The production line for sport utility vehicles at Toyota's Takaoka plant will be shut down for a total of seven days, including cancellation of two days of holiday production. (Photo by Yuki Nakao) 
Supply Chain

Toyota to cut production by 20,000 cars in Japan next month

Parts shortage in Southeast Asia causes bottleneck; yearly output plan unchanged

20 December 2021
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Most read in 2021

COVID-19, supply chain crisis -- Our 12 most read stories of 2021

Myanmar turmoil and Tokyo Olympics draw our readers' attention

20 December 2021
German tire company Continental is facing pressure from China over the use of parts made in Lithuania.
International relations

China said to arm-twist Continental on Lithuania business

Diplomatic spat over Taiwan spills over to global auto supply chain

18 December 2021
A Uniqlo store in Beijing. A shipment of shirts to the U.S. was blocked earlier this year under a narrower import ban.
US-China tensions

U.S. ban on Xinjiang imports to set off supply chain scramble

Sanctions to force deep dives by manufacturers to root out forced labor

18 December 2021
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Podcast

Asia Stream: The (supply chain) nightmare before Christmas

From chips to cars, we dive into the supply chain crisis

17 December 2021
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says a capacity expansion in Malaysia is part of the company's strategy to help overcome a global chip shortage. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/AP)
Supply Chain

Intel CEO warns chip shortage to last until 2023 as demand soars

Company announces $7bn Malaysia expansion in push to boost output

16 December 2021
An store selling Apple products in Mumbai: India's government aims to move the country up the electronics value chain.
Technology

India fights for bigger piece of tech supply chain with $10bn in incentives

Government competes against China, Southeast Asia for manufacturing investment

16 December 2021
TSMC and Sony will work together on a new chip plant in southwestern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture.
Semiconductors

Can TSMC give new spark to Japan's 'Silicon Island'?

EVs key to success of $7bn chip plant in Kyushu, with its links to auto industry

16 December 2021
China's State Council said in November that it will strictly regulate pollution in and around Beijing to ensure blue skies. (Source photos by Reuters and EPA/Jiji) 
Supply Chain

Toyota, others plan for Beijing Winter Olympics disruptions

China's desire for blue skies likely to stifle industrial activity during Games

15 December 2021
An employee of GlobalFoundries holds a 300-millimeter wafer at the company's chip factory in Dresden, Germany on July 1.
Supply Chain

Chipmakers' nightmare: Will shortages give way to a supply glut?

Expansion plans raise fears of another boom-to-bust cycle within the industry

15 December 2021
A worker sews up a jacket at World's factory in Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Yuko Sugigaki) 
Supply Chain

Japan apparel makers bring production home as overseas costs rise

Shipment bottlenecks add to pressure of higher wages in China and Vietnam

15 December 2021
A rice field in Japan that uses phosphorus harvested from excrement. Phosphorus is a key chemical used as fertilizer. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Agriculture

One man's waste: Companies harvest phosphorus from feces

Hitachi Zosen and Kubota see opportunity as China tightens fertilizer export

15 December 2021
SK Hynix's chip fabrication facility. South Korea's semiconductor sector, like other key export industries, relies on imported materials. (Photo courtesy of SK Hynix)
Supply Chain

South Korea fights supply-chain risks with economic security team

Seoul seeks to diversify suppliers of chip and battery materials

15 December 2021
A mailbox remains in front of where a home once stood in Earlington, Kentucky, after an outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states
Natural disasters

U.S. tornadoes slam Amazon warehouse, but carmakers spared worst

Death toll tops 70 in hard-hit Kentucky, home to big Toyota plant

14 December 2021
Medical workers collect swabs from residents at a testing site in the Zhenhai district of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
Supply Chain

China COVID crackdown closes several factories in industrial hub

Zero-tolerance policy weighs down economy ahead of Beijing Olympics

14 December 2021
Intel is among global manufacturers trying to meet surging demand for semiconductors. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Supply Chain

Malaysia says Intel to invest $7.1bn in local chip facility

Semiconductor manufacturers increasing output amid global supply chain woes

13 December 2021