#semiconductor-supply-chain

#semiconductor-supply-chain

Taiwan has become the world's biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative used to make chemicals needed for the semiconductor industry, despite the fact that it has joined other sanctions against Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine. In the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn worth of Russian naphtha, and average monthly imports reached a level nearly six times higher than the 2022 average, according to a report published on Wednesday.

China is moving to dominate the global market for polysilicon, a key material used in chips, by flooding the industry with cheap, subsidised product to drive producers in other countries out of business. This is according to a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a think tank based in Washington D.C. It warns that Beijing is providing "significant support" to its own polysilicon industry in an effort to establish loca businesses as the dominant global suppliers.