Key facts
- Huawei increased its annual smartphone shipment target to 60 million units.
- Nvidia has significantly reduced its authorized AI chip customers in Asia.
- The U.S. is now the leading helium supplier to key Asian tech economies.
- Malaysia is launching production of its first homegrown electric vehicle battery.
Huawei is aiming to increase its annual smartphone shipments by 20% to 60 million units, a move that contrasts with domestic competitors like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which have reduced their forecasts due to memory chip shortages and rising component costs. The company's technological capabilities and access to domestic suppliers are supporting this ambitious target.
In parallel, Nvidia has significantly tightened its compliance checks for AI chip customers in Asia, leading to the exclusion of over half of its previous clients. This action is part of a broader U.S. effort to prevent advanced AI chips from reaching China through third countries.
The U.S. has also emerged as the leading supplier of helium to key Asian tech economies, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. This shift is attributed to disruptions in helium supply from Qatar due to Middle East tensions and unexpected export restrictions from China.
Meanwhile, Malaysia is set to commence small-scale production of its first homegrown electric vehicle battery. Developed by Gigafactory Malaysia, a subsidiary of NanoMalaysia Berhad, the graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery aims to increase energy storage capacity and reduce EV costs.