CHIP

Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML says it is not selling its chipmaking machines in Europe, warning that the region risks falling behind the US, China and India in the semiconductor race. The remarks have drawn attention among industry watchers, who see them as a challenge to Europe's ambitions to build domestic chip manufacturing capacity and stay competitive globally.

Samsung plans to more than double production of its HBM4 and HBM4E high-bandwidth memory DRAM next year, according to industry sources cited by South Korean outlet Sedaily. The expansion targets booming demand from AI chip makers, as Samsung races rivals like SK hynix to supply next-generation memory for processors from Nvidia and other customers.

ASML, the Dutch maker of advanced semiconductor equipment, said it is not selling its chipmaking machines in Europe, warning that the region risks falling behind the US, China and India in the semiconductor industry. The remarks have drawn attention to Europe's limited domestic chip manufacturing capacity and its dependence on foreign suppliers for advanced lithography technology.

Chinese state media declared that the United States shares responsibility with China for managing artificial intelligence, positioning the two powers as joint stewards of the technology. The statement lands amid ongoing US-China tensions over AI development, chip exports and safety rules, and will fuel debate about whether rivals can cooperate on governing a technology both are racing to dominate.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is lobbying Washington against a fresh round of export restrictions that would hit ASML's China business. US lawmakers are pursuing legislation that could tighten controls on the chip-equipment maker's immersion lithography systems and its servicing activities in China. The Dutch intervention highlights tensions between US efforts to curb China's chip ambitions and the interests of Europe's most valuable tech firm.

An ASML executive says the Dutch chipmaking equipment giant currently sells no machines within Europe, despite being the world's leading supplier of lithography systems used to make advanced chips. The remark highlights how little semiconductor manufacturing takes place on the continent, with most customers concentrated in Asia and the United States.

ASML, the Dutch maker of chipmaking equipment, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026 and is calling on the EU to help create demand for semiconductor manufacturing. The remark highlights how little chip production capacity Europe has despite its ambitions, with virtually all of ASML's sales going to Asia and the United States. Commenters are weighing what this says about Europe's competitiveness in advanced chipmaking.

AT&S, the Austrian substrate manufacturer, is featured in a new report on the growing competition to produce advanced IC substrates, the critical layer that connects AI chips to circuit boards. The technology is becoming a bottleneck as demand for AI accelerators surges, and companies and governments are racing to expand capacity and secure supply of these components.

Huawei's Ascend chips have reportedly overtaken Nvidia in China's artificial intelligence chip market. The development reflects the impact of US export restrictions that have limited Nvidia's access to Chinese customers, allowing domestic alternatives like Huawei's Ascend processors to gain ground among Chinese companies building AI infrastructure. It marks a significant shift in the competitive balance of the AI hardware market.

Big Tech companies are rapidly expanding the use of guarantees to back debt financing for AI datacentres and chips, issuing up to $300bn in commitments in under a year while recording little of that exposure on their balance sheets. The practice is drawing scrutiny from analysts who warn it obscures the true scale of tech's AI spending and financial risk.

Wall Street analysts are divided over whether AMD or Broadcom will come out ahead in the next phase of the AI chip market. The debate centers on how each company is positioned to capture growth as demand for artificial intelligence hardware broadens beyond the current generation of accelerators, with investors weighing their differing strategies and customer bases.

New AI chips are roughly ten times more energy efficient than previous generations, but total electricity demand from data centers keeps rising sharply. The paradox driving discussion is that efficiency gains are being overwhelmed by explosive growth in AI workloads, as more powerful models and wider deployment mean operators keep adding servers, pushing overall power consumption higher despite better hardware.

US semiconductor export restrictions were notably absent from the agenda when President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping at their summit. Analysts say both leaders prioritised broader trade and geopolitical issues, leaving the tough technology controls largely untouched. Commentators are debating whether the omission signals a softening of Washington's chip policy toward Beijing or merely a temporary deferral of a festering dispute.

ASML, the Dutch maker of the lithography machines essential for advanced chips, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026, with its equipment going almost entirely to Asia-based chipmakers. The company is calling on the European Union to help create demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing on the continent. The remark is drawing attention as Europe pushes to build domestic chip capacity and reduce reliance on Asian supply chains.

ByteDance reportedly obtained access to more than 2,000 Nvidia B200 AI chips through Nscale's data center in Norway, with ByteDance's Singaporean subsidiary Spring contributing 73% of the UK neocloud's 2025 revenue, according to a filing. The revelation has drawn scrutiny over how a Chinese company accessed advanced US chips despite export controls, highlighting loopholes in restrictions via cloud services and offshore data centers.

Chinese AI startup Moonshot is reportedly seeking access to additional Nvidia Blackwell chips, according to a report circulating this week. The news comes just a week after a Trump administration official flagged an export control breach involving Nvidia's advanced chips. The development highlights continuing tensions over US restrictions on selling cutting-edge semiconductors to Chinese companies, a dispute that has become a central flashpoint in the technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

SK hynix is considering producing memory chips in the United States, according to the Korea Herald. The South Korean chipmaker, a leading supplier of HBM and DRAM to companies like Nvidia, has so far concentrated manufacturing in Korea and China. A US move would align with Washington's push to bring advanced semiconductor production onshore through incentives and tariffs, though the company has reportedly not made a final decision.

Data centers, power plants and chip facilities for artificial intelligence are being built across the United States at a pace that could surpass any previous infrastructure boom in the country's history. Analysts point to massive capital commitments from tech companies racing to secure computing power, raising questions about electricity demand, grid strain and whether the investment will pay off.

Huawei has announced plans for two advanced AI chips slated for 2027, putting Nvidia stock in focus as investors weigh rising Chinese competition in the AI semiconductor market. Traders are watching how Huawei's roadmap could challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI accelerators and what it means for US export restrictions and Nvidia's China business.

In US pre-market trading, SpaceX shares reversed early losses and turned positive after dipping below their IPO debut price, moving against a broad market decline. Chip stocks fell collectively, dragging Nasdaq futures down 2.7%. Traders are watching whether the space company's recovery can hold once regular trading begins amid the semiconductor-led selloff.

Qualcomm and Apple have renewed their patent licensing agreement, keeping their arrangement in place through 2027. The deal allows Apple to continue using Qualcomm's wireless technology in its devices while paying licensing fees. The two companies have had a complicated relationship, combining litigation over licensing terms with heavy commercial dependence, since Apple's modems still rely significantly on Qualcomm components.

Elon Musk and Intel are reportedly building a semiconductor factory of unprecedented scale, said to be larger than the Pentagon, Apple Park and the Mall of America combined. The claim, reported by Fortune, highlights the enormous footprint of next-generation chip manufacturing as the US pushes to expand domestic semiconductor production.

Morningstar argues that the popular claim that artificial intelligence spending is driving inflation deserves a more nuanced look. The piece pushes back on the simple narrative that data center buildouts and AI investment are broadly pushing up consumer prices, suggesting the picture is more complicated than headlines suggest. It comes amid ongoing debate over how much AI infrastructure spending is affecting energy demand, chip costs and the wider economy.

Apple's latest announcements dominated this week in tech coverage, with a roundup highlighting the company's new chip, a fitness tracker, and updated Mac computers. The coverage frames the week around Qualcomm's rivalry with Apple in the chip space, as the two companies continue to compete over mobile and computing processors. Commenters are weighing how Apple's new hardware stacks up against competitors, particularly on processor performance and wearables.