Trumpโs tariff deals send Europe to the back of the line
Trump calls the European Union โnastierโ than China. The EU is taking a deep breath.
Semiconductors
EU takes aim at US planes, autos in โฌ100B counterstrike against Trump tariffs
Brussels moves ahead with its retaliation, conceding its transatlantic ties with Washington may be beyond repair.
Trumpโs trade war threatens โฌ549B of EU goods, Brussels warns
U.S. presidentโs existing and threatened tariffs would hit an estimated 97 percent of total EU exports to America.
EU countries soften push to stop Chinese tech buyouts
Capitals are set to weaken rules that would require them to scrutinize foreign investments in sensitive technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, a draft document shows.
B&K Agency: Will Europe Seize Digital Leadership?ย [Promoted content]
Europeโs digital future is at a turning point. The European Union is actively working to lead the global tech race, particularly enforcing innovation in the areas of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. Still, according to the…
EU microchip strategy โdeeply disconnected from realityโ, say official auditors
Plan to supply 20% of the worldโs semiconductor chips by 2030 described as โessentially aspirationalโThe EUโs strategy to secure its own supply of microchips is โdeeply disconnected from realityโ, a damning report by the official European court of audi…
Industries hit a wall on relief from Trumpโs tariffs
The administration hasnโt set up a formal process for carve-outs from tariffs, keeping businesses uncertain about whether they may be able to secure relief.
European chips champion ASML warns ofย Trumpย tariff โuncertaintyโ
The Dutch company is key to Europeโs pitch to become technologically sovereign.
EU calls on Trump to engage in โtwo-way streetโ on tariffs
โNow, it is necessary for the U.S. to define its position,โ says EU trade negotiator after talks in Washington.
Tariff exemptions for electronics may not last, Commerce secretary says
โThis is not, like, a permanent sort of exemption. Heโs just clarifying that these are not available to be negotiated away by countries,โ Howard Lutnick said.
US to launch probe that could trigger semiconductor tariffs
The investigation could lead to new tariffs on semiconductors in a move that would have sweeping implications for Asian countries and the tech sector.
Trump exempts phones, computers from his reciprocal tariffs
The move could be a win for tech companies like Apple that were facing potential price hikes.
India could help save an aging Europe
As the continent tilts to the right and its politicians find it hard to explain an influx of refugees from war-torn countries, India is actively trying to present itself as a reasonable partner.
Trumpโs tariffs: Hungry for chips and happy with Big Tech
He lamented how the US “imports virtually all our computers, phones, and electronics,” singling out semiconductors and America’s dependence on Taiwan.
Empowering Europe: Unleashing cobaltโs potential to ensure economic security and green prosperity [Promoted content]
Cobalt is essential for the European Union and its citizens. It has been designated both as a critical and strategic raw material, and when it is used it is typically essential. From defence to electronics, batteries (for example in electric vehicles) …
Trump officials, allies grow anxious about April 2 tariffs
The president continues to throw curveballs at businesses โ and even his own team.
EU expects Trump to set flat, double-digit tariff on April 2
The European Unionโs trade chief met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer Tuesday in Washington.
Trump says car tariffs coming โin next few daysโ
The president also said he would be announcing pharmaceutical tariffs in the โnot too distantโ future.
MEPs urge the Commission to propose a Chips Act 2.0
The MEPs fear Europe could fall behind in the global chips race.
EU, India agree to finalize free-trade pact this year, von der Leyen says
Accord would be โthe largest deal of this kind,โ Commission president says on visit to New Delhi.
Green-light for Nokia to takeover US optical semiconductors
There are “several credible competitors” on their markets, including China’s Huawei.
EU ready to negotiate on car tariffs with Trump, trade commissioner says
EU Trade Commissioner Maroลก ล efฤoviฤ said the bloc is “ready to discuss” reducing its 10 percent tariff as part of broader negotiations.
Trump considers 25% tariff on imported cars
US president threatens to intensify trade war with levies on drugs and semiconductors, too
Trump vs. Xi: Who Will Win the Trade War?
Donald Trump launched a two-year trade war against China during his first term in the White House, and heโs poised to do it again. Even before being sworn in, Trump threatened China with 60 percent tariffs to cut its trade surplus, 10 percent tariffs if it didnโt halt fentanyl shipments and 100 percent tariffs if [โฆ]
EU warns US over new AI chips blocks
Export restrictions on cutting-edge microchips will affect some EU countries, including Poland.
Von der Leyenโs mission: Stop Europeโs โslow agonyโ of decline
The European Commission president has pledged to boost the EUโs ability to compete with the U.S. and China.
Do Syriaโs liberators still deserve the terrorist label?
Assadโs downfall was met with unbridled joy and relief among Syrians and Syriaโs expatriate community.
Trump jokes about annexing Canada, prompting nervous laughter
โThe president was teasing,โ insists a top Trudeau minister who attended Mar-a-Lago dinner.
Trumpโs in. Hereโs what it means for Europe.
From energy and trade to finance and defense, hereโs how Donald Trumpโs second presidency will impact EU policy.
EU to spend โฌ900M on expanding critical technologies
Brussels has lined up cash to prevent European tech companies from falling into foreign hands.
Why Harris isnโt talking about Bidenโs accomplishments
The Democratic nominee isnโt campaigning much on the Biden administrationโs bigger, slower-moving policies
Taiwanโs ex-President Tsai will visit Brussels next week
Her trip comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei, while the EU-China trade war flares up.
EU betting on India and Vietnam for chips
Looking to be less dependent on China and Taiwan, the West is keen to have alternative suppliers and are pushing at an open door with New Delhi and Hanoi.
Tech policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference
We break down the 20 figures shaping the Conservativesโ tech policy in opposition.
How can Russia keep producing weapons with foreign parts despite sanctions?
Microchips, semiconductors and other microelectronics from China, the US and the EU are still being found in Russian drones and missiles launched at Ukraine.
Europe needs an โAbundance Agendaโ
Taking economic growth seriously isnโt just a matter of good policy and good politics, itโs also a precondition for the EU to be taken seriously as a geopolitical actor.
Germanyโs slow-motion move away from China
Germany is starting to distance itself from China, but the auto industry isnโt so keen.
Germany ties itself to Taiwan on chips. It comes with risks.
A new microchips plant by world leader TSMC is a boon for Dresden, but Berlin wants to avoid alienating its major trade partner Beijing.
China threat prompts Japan to rethink its security
Tokyo now stands determined to be recognized as an important part of the transatlantic and European security architecture.
Belgian bankruptcy dents Europeโs microchip dreams
Concerns about Chinese ownership impacted government’s thinking to keep microchips factory afloat.
Chinese firms stockpile high-end Samsung chips as they await new US curbs
Chinese tech giants including Huawei and Baidu as well as startups are stockpiling high bandwidth memory (HBM) semiconductors from Samsung Electronics in anticipation of US curbs on exports of the chips to China, three sources said.
Trump vs. Bidenโs historic climate agenda
President Joe Biden may no longer be on the 2024 ballot โ but his legacy is. And former President Donald Trump would have multiple tools to thwart his ambitions on energy, infrastructure and climate change.
Hong Kong is global trade hub for worldโs most brutal regimes, report says
Pro-democracy campaign group finds exports of goods to Russia, vital to its war efforts, roughly doubled in a yearHong Kong has become a global trade hub for โthe worldโs most brutal regimesโ, according to a report examining the cityโs role in facilita…
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskiy salutes Joe Bidenโs โunwavering supportโ
Russians claim capture of two villages; squeeze on smuggling of chips through Chinese territory to Russia is having effect. What we know on day 880Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraineโs president, has released a statement after Joe Biden stood down from the US…
What Washington thinks of Keir Starmer
After years of Conservative turmoil, the new British prime minister has been welcomed by Democrats and Republicans alike.
The never-ending job of depriving Putin of the means to kill Ukrainians
Vietnam and Malaysia are the next destinations on EU envoy David OโSullivanโs mission to stop Russia from beating EU sanctions.
How Taiwan Conquered US politics โ and showed Europe how itโs done
The island democracy off the coast of China has wooed friends in every U.S. faction and region โ and thatโs its greatest source of strength and protection.
Export controls on Russia might be working better than you think
The fact Moscow is so keen to discredit export controls may well be a clue that the measures arenโt ineffective.
Why Washington Is Waiting on โSuper Marioโ
The former Italian prime minister is preparing to issue a sweeping report on economic competitiveness that sets up Europe to take on China โ and America.
US to widen sanctions on sale of semiconductor chips to Russia
The US government plans on Wednesday (12 June) to announce wider sanctions on the sale of semiconductor chips and other goods to Russia, with the goal of targeting third-party sellers in China, sources familiar with the plans said.
US sets stage for antitrust probes of Nvidia, Microsoft and OpenAI
The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission are nearing an agreement to divvy up investigations of potential anticompetitive conduct by some of the worldโs largest technology companies in the artificial intelligence industry, according to three people with knowledge of the negotiations.
US tariffs on China split EU Social Democrats, Commission names Booking gatekeeper under Digital Markets Act
New US tarriffs on Chinese goods, including semiconductors, have split the EU’s Social Democrats ahead of the elections, while the Commission designated Booking as a DMA gatekeeper.
How Brexit (and Donald Trump) brought Britain and Japan together
Two island nations bookending the Eurasian continent are joining forces to combat the growing threat from neighboring autocracies.
Europe eyes car chips as next battleground with China
Commission will start questioning its industry about competition with China and others on older-generation microchips.
Bidenโs biggest challenge: How do you even spend $1.6 trillion?
Congress gave Biden a historic sum to green the economy, revive manufacturing and fix crumbling infrastructure. But most of it is unspent.
Itโs up to the EU to hold back the great tech decoupling
EU countries can no longer ignore growing pressure from countries seeking a tougher line on China, nor can they ignore Chinaโs efforts to replace Western firms in high-tech supply chains. Instead, they should hand over more powers to Brussels so the EU…
Xi warns Blinken: Stop being two-faced
America is “saying one thing and doing another,” Chinese leader cautions top US diplomat.
Blinken heads back to China, with a threat over military aid to Russia
Washington accuses Beijing of sending Moscow everything from missile and drone components to machine tools.
UK signals potential curbs on Chinese investment amid โderiskingโ push
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden will take steps to deliver on pledge to Joe Biden to confront China trade quandary.
The Brief โ EU tech policy moves towards defence and competitiveness
A subtle but unmistakable change is rippling through tech policy in Brussels and the discussion is moving towards a place where tech is primarily a tool for sovereignty while competitiveness in global markets is the top priority.ย
EU launches probe into Chinese wind turbines
Chinese state subsidies behind wind turbine operations in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria will be investigated.
EU and US vow to team up against China, but canโt hide the cracks
Trade and tech dialogue would likely not survive a Trump return โ and that would threaten fragile transatlantic solidarity on how to deal with China.
Belgian research powerhouse turns hawkish on China
Leuven, host of this week’s transatlantic trade and tech summit, is reviewing decades of global entanglement in research and academia.
How to โTrump proofโ the transatlantic relationship?
This week’s meeting of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council could be its last.
Europe, in denial, longs for rules-based global trade order
As the EU fights to make the World Trade Organization matter again, itโs short on allies.ย
30 Things Joe Biden Did as President You Might Have Missed
Drone armies, expanded overtime pay and over-the-counter birth control pills are just some of the new things Biden has ushered in as president that you might not have heard about.
Jake Sullivan touts successes of Biden administrationโs China policy
National security adviser pushes back on critics of administrationโs Beijing outreach and says Biden-Xi direct communication is crucial to stabilizing ties.
Top EU officials have toxic โforever chemicalsโ in their blood
Margrethe Vestager and Frans Timmermans among officials tested as EU debates potential ban.
Strong demand at ASML points to the coming chip upswing
Not all makers of semiconductors are created equal, though
William Lai takes early lead in Taiwan presidential race in snub to Beijing
Beijing is expected to increase pressure on Taiwan, a crucial hotspot in US-China ties.
Taiwan at election crossroads as war threat looms
As voters in Taiwan head to the polls to select their next president, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Whatโs at stake for Europe as Taiwan goes to the polls?
As Taiwan goes to the polls on Saturday (13 January) to elect a new president and parliament amid increasing tensions between the self-governing island and China, Europeans mull over how to navigate ties with Taipei.
Russia finds way around sanctions on battlefield tech: report
That doesnโt mean sanctions have failed; they just need to be enforced better โ including by requiring Western companies to track their own products, US-Ukrainian research team finds.
Belgian PM faces high-wire act in China as EU, Taiwan fears intrude
Alexander De Croo will seek to balance national and EU interests during his trip to Beijing โ amid strained trade ties and tensions around Taiwan’s presidential election.
How to watch Taiwanโs election like a pro
The vote lies at the heart of a battle between Washington and Beijing for influence in the South China Sea.
Europeโs Silicon Valley? No thanks
The UK has grand plans for Cambridge. But the city has other ideas.
Germany and EU face a new trilemma
The green transition and economic security are complimentary phenomena that can create a positive feedback loop.
The first nail-biter election of 2024: Taiwan
It’s too close to call in Taipei as tensions simmer in the South China Sea.
Sanctions arenโt working: How the West enables Russiaโs war on Ukraine
The EU is pointing the finger at Chinese suppliers, but itโs Western companies that make the most critical components used in Russiaโs arsenal of weapons.
Belgium leads the charge on the EUโs medicines reshoring plans
New European drug factories will be greener and more efficient than the old ones โ and their products more expensive.
How to navigate Belgiumโs EU presidency policy agenda like a pro
Time is running out to make progress on files before the 2024 European election.
EU wards off Russian tech investment via its startup fund
Russian investors ‘are totally banned’ from co-investing with the EU’s venture capital fund, its board president says.
EU set to slap Russia with new sanctions on diamonds, tighten oil price cap
The 12th sanctions package would target the diamond trade, which Washington has sanctioned but the EU has not.
Experts question EU report on emerging deep tech
Experts have criticised a new report by the European Innovation Council (EIC) on emerging deep technologies, breakthrough innovations, and early-stage research projects, calling into question its approach to quantum computing and semiconductors.
Sweeping new Biden order aims to alter the AI landscape
The White House is poised to make an all-hands effort to impose national rules on a fast-moving technology, according to a draft executive order.
Biden has a new message about the war. Thereโs an America First twist.
The White House is stressing that weapons for Ukraine are being made in the US But will it work?
Transatlantic blame game: Trump, Merkel, Biden and the danger of Germanyโs dependence on Huawei
Donald Trump tried to prod Germany to ban the Chinese tech giant, but former Chancellor Angela Merkel defied him. As Germany grows increasingly anxious about China, Biden is trying to do the same with Merkelโs successor.
Itโs the EU and US against the rest of the world in new steel club
Brussels and Washington prepare to slap 10 to 25 percent tariffs on countries outside their metals club.
PTFE ban: The hidden consumer costs and employment losses
The PFAS restriction proposal that is under consideration by European authorities would jeopardize EU flagship industries, including cookware, and deprive consumers of safe and durable products.
EU to assess export controls on sensitive tech to China
Bloc to consider limiting sales of some semiconductors, AI, quantum computing and biotechnology
US government quizzes British firms on Chinese investment links
Move comes amid mounting expectation of curbs on British investment into China.
EU pushes for common ICT standards with China, Slovak elections test DSA enforcement on disinformation
Welcome to EURACTIVโs Tech Brief, yourย weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletterย here.ย โEU companies told me they face many obstacles and legal uncertainties in China.โ – posted Vฤra Jourovรก, Vice Preside…
Semiconductors: Germany to receive โฌ4bn from EU programme
In a bid to attract more microchip manufacturers to the country, Germany plans to invest some โฌ4 billion in 31 microchip projects with the help of EU funding.
US and Vietnam ink historic partnership in Biden visit, with eyes on China
US President Joe Biden on Sunday (10 September) secured deals with Vietnam on semiconductors and minerals as the strategic Southeast Asian nation lifted Washington to Hanoi’s highest diplomatic status alongside China and Russia.
UK parliament calls Taiwan โindependent countryโ as Cleverly visits China
‘Taiwan possesses all the qualifications for statehood,’ a parliamentary committee report says.
Eyeing China, France mulls foreign investment screenings in raw materials sector
The breadth of foreign investments control in France will be broadened to critical raw materialsโ extraction and transformation, Economy minister Bruno Le Maire announced on Thursday (24 August), in a thinly-veiled stab at Chinaโs near-monopoly in the …
British firms quizzed on Chinese tech links as US-style clampdown looms
Survey covering everything from robotics to cryptography sent to British firms as UK considers moving closer to Joe Bidenโs curbs on Chinese investment.
German minister proposes tougher rules on Chinese foreign direct investment
Deputy chancellor urges stricter controls on overseas groupsโ operations in critical sectors such as semiconductors and AI
Behind shiny new semiconductor investments, the EU Chips Act needs more work
While Thierry Breton hailed chip manufacturers’ recent investment pledges in Europe as a โculminationโ of the EU’s industrial strategy and its newly-adopted Chips Act, a lot more work is needed.
Breton: TSMC chip factory investment marks โculminationโ of EU industrial strategy
Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMCโs โฌ10 billion investment in a new chips factory in Germany marks the โculminationโ of the EUโs industrial strategy of the past few years, EUโs Single Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said.