May 1, 2025

Tariffs tighten, tech tunes up, and GaN gets the green-light

Round-up

Highlights

  1. FCC closes a critical security loophole. The Commission will vote on 22 May to bar China-based labs linked to Huawei, ZTE and other “covered” firms from certifying any electronics destined for the US market – a shift that could reroute tens of billions of dollars’ worth of compliance work and slow time-to-market for devices using radios, sensors and SoCs1.
  2. Nvidia wants the export dial turned back. CEO Jensen Huang urged the Trump administration to rethink the coming “AI diffusion” quota system, arguing the rules must reflect the post-H100 landscape to keep US chipmakers competitive abroad2.
  3. Samsung’s tariff playbook emerges. Facing 46 % import duties on Vietnam-built phones and looming memory levies, the company is prioritising flagship devices, eyeing Brazil for smartphone output, and warning that early pull-ins could sap DRAM demand in 2H253.

Other developments:

  • EU auditors flag EU’s “high-risk” 33 % reliance on Chinese legacy chips4
  • Japan’s PMI shows chip orders tumbling on tariff fears5
  • Qualcomm trims outlook on tariff impact6
  • Super Micro cuts guidance, spooking AI-server bulls7
  • Apple doubles down on India/SEA supply chain shift8
  • Intel driver revs lift Lunar Lake iGPUs by up to 25 %9
  • Beneq’s ALD cluster tool cleared for 8-inch GaN power runs10
  • New UK e-beam fab promises sub-10 nm R&D access11
  • Amorphous-Si MCPs break photon-capture efficiency records12.

Did you know?
Even after two years of EU “Chips Act” rhetoric, Brussels is kicking in just €4.5 billion (≈5 %) of the €86 billion the bloc says it needs to hit a 20 % global share – one reason auditors call the goal “off the pace”4.

In-depth

1 Government & Corporate Policy

  • FCC targets China-linked test labs
    • Final vote set for 22 May; 75 % of current compliance testing occurs inside China1.
    • Proposal also floats banning all PRC labs and incentivizing US facilities.
  • Nvidia seeks revision of AI-chip export quotas
    • Huang says tiered limits no longer match market reality; White House reviewing rule ahead of 15 May start2.
  • EU anxiety over Chinese legacy chips
    • European Court of Auditors warns one-third of EU “mature-node” imports now come from China, labelling it a “high-risk dependency”4.
    • Funding gap: Commission provides only €4.5 bn of planned €86 bn Chips Act budget.
  • Tariff tremors spread to Asia
    • Japan’s April PMI shows fastest drop in export orders since Oct 2024; semiconductors singled out as weak spot5.

2 Economics, Finance & Business Outlook

  • Qualcomm trims Q3 revenue forecast
    • Mid-range of $10.3 bn misses Street; CFO cites tariff-driven demand uncertainty6.
  • Super Micro slashes guidance
    • AI-server darling expects $4.5-4.6 bn Q3 sales vs. prior $5-6 bn; delays blamed on hyperscaler spending pauses and tariff jitters7.
  • Samsung’s defensive pivot
    • Premium-device focus and potential factory moves aim to blunt US tariff impact while memory unit warns of 2H softness3.
  • Apple accelerates out-of-China plan
    • FT reports heavier investment in India and SE Asia assembly as Trump tariffs ratchet higher8.

3 Technology & R&D

  • GaN tools hit production grade
    • Beneq’s Transform ALD cluster qualified by a Tier-1 Asian customer for 8-inch GaN-on-Si power wafers, signalling wider volume adoption10.
  • Intel squeezes free FPS from Lunar Lake
    • Driver 32.0.101.6734 bumps average frame rates ~10 % and 1 % lows 25 % on Arc 140V/130V iGPUs in MSI Claw handhelds9.
  • UK opens world-class e-beam litho centre
    • Southampton’s new facility – only the second globally – offers sub-10 nm patterning for next-gen logic and photonics prototyping11.
  • Amorphous-silicon MCP breakthrough
    • Researchers report superior electron-multiplication control versus crystalline MCPs, paving the way for ultra-sensitive imaging sensors12.

Footnotes

  1. Reuters – “FCC to vote to bar Chinese labs deemed security risks from testing US electronics” (Apr 30 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Reuters – “Nvidia CEO says Trump should revise AI-chip export rules” (Apr 30 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. TrendForce – “Samsung Weighs Premium Sales and Production Shifts Amid Tariff Threats” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. TrendForce – “EU Auditors Warn: China Supplies One-Third of EU Legacy Chip Imports” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Reuters – “Japan’s factory activity falls on US tariff worries, PMI shows” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Reuters – “Qualcomm forecasts Trump tariffs will dent revenue, shares fall 6%” (Apr 30 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Reuters – “Server maker Super Micro cuts Q3 forecast on AI-spending delays” (Apr 29 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. Financial Times – “Tariffs push Apple closer to Asia” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. Tom’s Hardware – “Intel driver update for Lunar Lake chips improves iGPU FPS by 10%” (Apr 30 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. PR Newswire – “Beneq Transform® qualified for GaN power-device production by Tier-1 Asian manufacturer” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  11. Innovation News Network – “New e-beam lithography facility will produce next-gen semiconductors” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎

  12. Bioengineer.org – “Advancing photon capture with amorphous-silicon MCPs” (May 1 2025) ↩︎ ↩︎