The global production volume of smartphones worldwide is expected to peak in the third quarter on account of effects from the peak shipment season, subsidies from Chinese telecom operators and back-to-school sales. This demand surge will also drive the smartphone component markets, and supply will become tight for memory, panels, application processors and other key parts. The latest report from the global market research firm TrendForce finds that Chinese smartphone brands will continue to witness substantial increase in their production volumes through 2016, with their average year-on-year growth rate reaching 11%.
The first quarter conventionally is when the LCD panel market has abundant supply. However, the February earthquake in southern Taiwan and Samsung Display (SDC) having problems with transitioning to a new manufacturing process resulted in some loss of the panel industry’s overall capacity during the period. Furthermore, panel makers gained confidence in the market as the efforts to consume excess TV panel inventories were more efficient than anticipated.
China has become a major battleground for local and international LED package suppliers as the competition in the global LED market continues to intensify. The 2016 Chinese LED Chip and Package Industry Market Report by LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, finds Nichia held on to its position as the revenue leader in the Chinese package market for 2015, while Lumileds rose to second place and MLS followed at third.
Aging population and rising costs of new drugs have increased healthcare expenses in countries across the globe and spurred governments to expand the use of generic drugs. Currently, there are factors constraining the development of generics. The U.S., for instance, is pushing the international adoption of patent linkage via the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Bilateral Free Trade Agreements (BFTAs).
