Wire · operational-macro
AI demand, U.S. tariffs reshape South Korean manufacturing
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Fusion42 · 28 July 2026 · Fusion42 review
South Korean semiconductor exports to Taiwan have nearly tripled since 2022, driven by AI demand for memory chips used in GPU and large language model systems. U.S. tariffs and local production requirements are pushing South Korean automakers to expand domestic U.S. manufacturing and shift exports toward hybrid vehicles.
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◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
The memory chip supply chain is locking in. Samsung and SK Hynix now ship high-bandwidth memory through Taiwan to reach Nvidia's customers, and that route is hardening faster than tariffs can reverse it—which means your chip packaging, test or substrate supplier now has a direct path to the AI infrastructure bill.
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