01. High Inventory and China’s Crackdown on Smuggling Cause DRAM Spot Price to Drop

    According to TrendForce’s latest memory spot price trend report, neither the spot price of DRAM nor that of NAND flash shows much sign of a turnaround in the short term. It is also worth noting that the Chinese government has been cracking down on smuggling activities since the end of May, putting more pressure on the spot prices of reball DRAM chips.

    02. Kioxia increases operating rates at two NAND fabs in Japan

      According to reports, in view of the market recovery, Japanese memory chip maker Kioxia stopped production cuts after 20 months and increased the operating rate of its NAND flash memory production lines at its Yokkaichi fab in Mie Prefecture and the Kitakami fab in Iwate Prefecture to 100% this month.

      03. Intel’s China arm acquires minority stake in telecoms subsidiary of Apple supplier Luxshare

        Intel’s China arm has acquired a minority stake in the telecommunications subsidiary of Apple supplier Luxshare Precision Industry, according to business registry records, as the US semiconductor giant looks to navigate the geopolitical tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

        Dongguan Luxshare Technology, a manufacturer of 5G-related products for data communications and wireless networks, has added Intel’s China arm as one its shareholders with a 3 per cent stake, according to information published on Monday by Chinese corporate database Qichacha.

        Shenzhen-based Luxshare Precision, also known as Luxshare-ICT, has a nearly 90 per cent shareholding in its telecoms subsidiary. Electronics contract manufacturer Luxshare Precision makes a range of Apple products, including iPhones, AirPods, the Apple Watch and mixed-reality headset Vision Pro.

        04. Onsemi plans SiC semiconductor plant in the Czech Republic

          The US semiconductor manufacturer Onsemi has announced an investment of up to two billion US dollars to build a silicon carbide production facility in the Czech Republic. The plant will produce SiC power semiconductors for electric vehicles, among other things.

          05. H3C partners with Foxconn on Malaysia data center investment.

            H3C Technologies, owned by Tsinghua Unigroup and HPE, recently announced that it will collaborate with Foxconn to establish its first overseas factory in Malaysia.

            The Malaysian factory is set to begin production in September 2024, before setting up facilities in the US, Mexico, and Europe over the next 2-3 years. Yingtao Yu, President and CEO of the H3C Group, announced this development during the 2024 Zhejiang-Taiwan Cooperation Week.