Asian Tech and Semiconductor Stocks Retreat on U.S. Import Policy Concerns

Policy Risks Pressure Asian Chipmakers
Asian technology stocks and semiconductor makers fell sharply on Friday following a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. administration is considering new measures to reduce reliance on overseas semiconductors. The proposed policy would force U.S. technology firms to match domestic chip production with imports or face tariffs.

The move, if implemented, could directly hit Asian chipmakers by limiting U.S. demand for foreign semiconductors, squeezing profit margins, and heightening trade uncertainty.

Sector Impact Across Asia

• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (TW:2330) dropped as much as 2%, reflecting investor caution.
• Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) shares fell 4%, while SK Hynix (KS:000660) slumped more than 6% in Seoul.
• In Japan, Advantest Corp. (TYO:6857) lost 3%, while SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) declined over 4%.
• Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (HK:0981) in Hong Kong slid over 1%, while Alibaba Group (HK:9988) dropped more than 2%.

AI Enthusiasm Cools
Adding to the pressure, U.S. tech stocks had already faced losses this week amid fading enthusiasm for artificial intelligence demand. The NASDAQ Composite ended lower for its third straight session on Thursday, with declines concentrated in AI-related stocks.

The sell-off was exacerbated by Nvidia’s $100 billion investment in OpenAI, which raised concerns about capital concentration, potential market imbalances, and the risk of an AI bubble.

China Shows Limited Resilience
Despite some resilience earlier in the week, Chinese tech stocks joined the broader regional decline on Friday, showing that sentiment remains fragile under the weight of U.S. trade policy risks and AI sector volatility.