Pacific Tape maps the semiconductor supply chain across Korea, Taiwan, Japan and the US - Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, TSMC, Kioxia, Micron and their peers - as daily heatmaps, with short explanations for investors outside those markets.https://pacifictape.com/en-ushttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/how-to-buy-japanese-chip-stocks/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/how-to-buy-japanese-chip-stocks/Three routes to Japan's chip stocks from abroad: Tokyo-listed shares, OTC receipts such as KXIAY and TELWY, and semiconductor ETFs, with the rules and taxes.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:42:24 GMTGuideshttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/how-to-buy-taiwan-stocks/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/how-to-buy-taiwan-stocks/Three routes to Taiwan's stock market from outside Taiwan: registering for TWSE shares, US-listed ADSs such as TSM, and ETFs, with the rules, hours and taxes.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:42:24 GMTGuideshttps://pacifictape.com/news/top-1-investors-add-samsung-sk-hynix-as-kospi-drops-1-46/https://pacifictape.com/news/top-1-investors-add-samsung-sk-hynix-as-kospi-drops-1-46/Two Korean newspapers say top-return investors added Samsung and SK hynix shares on Oct 26 as both stocks slipped ahead of Q3 earnings calls.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 15:30:08 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-slips-1-16-as-kospi-waits-on-earnings-and-the-fed/https://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-slips-1-16-as-kospi-waits-on-earnings-and-the-fed/Samsung Electronics fell 1.16% to 213,000 won on Oct 26, less than the KOSPI's 1.46% drop, three days before its third-quarter earnings call.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 11:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/what-do-3nm-and-2nm-mean/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/what-do-3nm-and-2nm-mean/Why 3nm and 2nm are generation names, not measurements; who makes chips at each node, from TSMC and Samsung to Intel and Rapidus, and what comes after 2nm.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 05:17:23 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/blog/nand-outlook-up-shares-down-sandisk-and-kioxia-report/https://pacifictape.com/blog/nand-outlook-up-shares-down-sandisk-and-kioxia-report/Sandisk and Kioxia, the two NAND-only makers, report this week. TrendForce raised its Q4 NAND price outlook, yet both stocks sit far below their June highs.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 02:30:08 GMTBloghttps://pacifictape.com/news/sk-hynix-weighs-16-trillion-won-special-dividend-newspaper/https://pacifictape.com/news/sk-hynix-weighs-16-trillion-won-special-dividend-newspaper/Dong-A Ilbo reports SK hynix may pay about US$12 billion from its Kioxia stake sale, possibly announced with results on October 28.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 01:18:05 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/us-chip-export-controls-china-explained/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/us-chip-export-controls-china-explained/What US controls on AI chips, chipmaking tools and HBM to China cover, how they changed since 2022, what they mean for chipmakers, and the dates ahead.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 01:18:05 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/what-is-cowos-tsmc-advanced-packaging/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/what-is-cowos-tsmc-advanced-packaging/CoWoS is TSMC's 2.5D packaging that puts an AI chip and its HBM memory side by side. Its three versions, why capacity ran short and where it is growing.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 01:18:05 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-and-sk-hynix-face-results-week-after-steep-october/https://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-and-sk-hynix-face-results-week-after-steep-october/SK hynix reports third-quarter results on Oct 28 and Samsung on Oct 29, after October drops of 30.33% and 21.92% in their shares.Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/foundry-vs-fabless-vs-idm/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/foundry-vs-fabless-vs-idm/Nvidia designs, TSMC manufactures, Micron does both. What fabless, foundry, IDM and OSAT mean, with each label checked against the companies' own filings.Sun, 25 Oct 2026 07:25:09 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/why-samsung-reports-earnings-twice/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/why-samsung-reports-earnings-twice/Samsung files an early sales and profit estimate, then full results weeks later. How close they were, and how SK hynix, TSMC, Micron and Kioxia report.Sun, 25 Oct 2026 07:25:09 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/blog/nasdaq-down-two-weeks-can-google-microsoft-and-amazon-stop/https://pacifictape.com/blog/nasdaq-down-two-weeks-can-google-microsoft-and-amazon-stop/The Nasdaq Composite fell for a second straight week, losing 5.1% in two weeks. Next week's Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon earnings may decide what comes next.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:30:07 GMTBloghttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/soxx-vs-smh-vs-soxq-chip-etfs/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/soxx-vs-smh-vs-soxq-chip-etfs/SOXX, SMH and SOXQ follow three different chip indexes. How each caps Nvidia and TSMC, what they charge, and where SK hynix's US shares show up.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:04:53 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/sp500-nasdaq-100-inclusion-rules/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/sp500-nasdaq-100-inclusion-rules/A committee picks S&P 500 members; written rules pick the Nasdaq-100. How each decides, the 2026 rule changes and where Asian chipmakers stand.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:04:53 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/news/kospi-erases-early-chip-slump-to-end-0-3-higher/https://pacifictape.com/news/kospi-erases-early-chip-slump-to-end-0-3-higher/Seoul's KOSPI dropped 2.83% early on Oct 23 after US chip stocks fell 6.72%, then reversed course to close at 5,550.30.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-jumps-5-67-then-kospi-erases-the-gain-a-day-later/https://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-jumps-5-67-then-kospi-erases-the-gain-a-day-later/Samsung Electronics had its best day in seven weeks on Oct 21. The KOSPI then fell 3.52%, a drop local outlets tied to the end of big chip share purchases.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/dow-sp500-nasdaq-explained/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/dow-sp500-nasdaq-explained/The Dow weighs 30 stocks by share price, the S&P 500 weighs about 500 by market value, and the Nasdaq indexes track Nasdaq listings. Where the chipmakers sit.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:19:56 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/explainers/us-stock-futures-overnight-asia/https://pacifictape.com/explainers/us-stock-futures-overnight-asia/US index futures trade almost around the clock, so they move during Asian hours. What they are, when they trade in Seoul and Tokyo time, and their limits.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:19:56 GMTExplainershttps://pacifictape.com/blog/record-quarter-12-drop-why-lam-research-stock-fell/https://pacifictape.com/blog/record-quarter-12-drop-why-lam-research-stock-fell/Lam Research shares fell 11.76% on October 22, a day after it reported record revenue of $8.22 billion, up 54% from a year earlier.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:50:55 GMTBloghttps://pacifictape.com/news/micron-leads-chip-recovery-barron-s-says-after-20-3-slide/https://pacifictape.com/news/micron-leads-chip-recovery-barron-s-says-after-20-3-slide/Barron's put Micron at the front of a chip-stock recovery on Oct. 23, after a 6.26% drop on Oct. 22 and a 20.32% fall since Oct. 2.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/tsmc-pushes-copos-packaging-at-longtan-digitimes-reports/https://pacifictape.com/news/tsmc-pushes-copos-packaging-at-longtan-digitimes-reports/DigiTimes says TSMC is moving ahead with CoPoS chip packaging in Taoyuan. The Taipei shares are down 4.98% in October.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:30:06 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/lee-jae-yong-tours-abu-dhabi-plant-site-as-samsung-slides-4/https://pacifictape.com/news/lee-jae-yong-tours-abu-dhabi-plant-site-as-samsung-slides-4/Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong toured a UAE power plant site that Korean outlets linked to AI. Samsung shares fell 4.03% to 214,500 won on Oct 22.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:30:06 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-union-pushes-chip-bonus-overhaul-as-shares-drop-4/https://pacifictape.com/news/samsung-union-pushes-chip-bonus-overhaul-as-shares-drop-4/Samsung's union moved on Oct 22 to change chip-division bonus rules, with 81% in favor. The shares fell 4.03%, more than the KOSPI.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:30:08 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/texas-instruments-outlook-tops-estimates-before-asia-opens/https://pacifictape.com/news/texas-instruments-outlook-tops-estimates-before-asia-opens/Texas Instruments gave a sales outlook above analyst estimates after the Oct 21 US close. Bloomberg tied it to stronger demand.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:30:08 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/tsmc-seeks-chip-tools-free-of-chinese-rare-earths-reuters/https://pacifictape.com/news/tsmc-seeks-chip-tools-free-of-chinese-rare-earths-reuters/Reuters says TSMC is looking for factory equipment that avoids China's rare earths. The report came after Taipei closed on Oct 22.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:30:06 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/musk-targets-2028-for-volume-output-at-terafab-chip-venture/https://pacifictape.com/news/musk-targets-2028-for-volume-output-at-terafab-chip-venture/Elon Musk said the SpaceX-Tesla Terafab project aims for volume chip production in 2028, with ASML speeding tool deliveries. Intel rose 1.39%.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:30:06 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/merck-opens-korean-plant-for-molybdenum-chip-material/https://pacifictape.com/news/merck-opens-korean-plant-for-molybdenum-chip-material/Merck began production in Eumseong, South Korea, of a molybdenum compound used to lay ultrathin metal films in advanced memory chips.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/news/micron-moves-toward-a-quarterly-bonus-linked-to-its-profits/https://pacifictape.com/news/micron-moves-toward-a-quarterly-bonus-linked-to-its-profits/Micron plans a profit-linked bonus paid every quarter, Reuters and BusinessKorea reported, days after a Taiwan union planned a walkout over bonus pay.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:30:07 GMTNewshttps://pacifictape.com/blog/sk-hynix-kioxia-slide-3-reasons-asia-s-chip-stocks-fell/https://pacifictape.com/blog/sk-hynix-kioxia-slide-3-reasons-asia-s-chip-stocks-fell/SK hynix fell 5.49% and Samsung Electronics 4.03% on October 22, as Kioxia and TSMC also slid. Here are three reasons behind the joint drop.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:30:06 GMTBlog