As the U.S.-China Tech War Rages on, the Electronics Industry Braces for Impact

MIN READMar 29, 2019 | 09:00 GMT

The semiconductor industry is entering a period of increased specialization as new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, require more tailored computer chips.

(JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images)

Semiconductor manufacturers create the computer chips that power today's growing multitude of electronic devices -- from coffee makers to self-driving cars, and everything in between. The industry, therefore, plays a crucial and increasingly embedded role in the global economy. But today, manufacturers are facing the highest levels of geopolitical risk and competition they have seen in decades, as they grapple with a seismic shift away from Moore's law and toward more specialized chips. Meanwhile, the ongoing trade war between the United States and China -- the two most important markets for electronics -- is threatening to fragment the entire industry and globalized tech sector it operates within....