Nvidia GTC Looms as US Abruptly Withdraws AI Chip Export Rule
Zero One Daily Intelligence Brief — March 14, 2026
Nvidia GTC Looms as US Abruptly Withdraws AI Chip Export Rule
Top Market Signals
Commerce Department pulls global AI chip permit framework
The US Commerce Department withdrew a draft regulation that would have required permits for AI chip exports to any country, according to a government website posting. The rule, which had drawn industry pushback, would have restricted sales of advanced AI accelerators from Nvidia, AMD, and others without explicit US approval regardless of destination.
Linked stocks: NVDA, AMD, INTC
Sources: CNA 中央社, Google News
Taiwan suppliers brace for Nvidia platform refresh cycle
Taiwan's AI supply chain held a concentrated wave of investor meetings ahead of Nvidia's GTC conference March 16-19, with Delta Electronics, Airtac, Chenbro, and Catcher all projecting sequential quarterly growth through year-end. Delta Electronics chairman Cheng Ping stated AI datacenter demand continues rising, noting that different from consumer electronics with obvious peak and low seasons, data center construction proceeds according to plan with relatively no seasonality issues. Operations are expected to improve each quarter as the Vera Rubin platform ramps in second half. Thermal solutions provider Airtac highlighted liquid cooling penetration will accelerate in 2026 following its "liquid cooling first year" in 2025, with ASIC customers becoming the primary growth driver by 2027. Server chassis maker Chenbro and slide rail supplier Catcher both expect Vera Rubin's shift to 800V HVDC power architecture will drive incremental content gains in their respective categories.
Linked stocks: 2308.TW, 3017.TW, 8210.TW, 2059.TW
Sources: AI 關鍵零件供應鏈齊聚 GTC，看好今年營運逐季成長, GTC 前瞻：AI 基建鏈遍地開花 台廠迎結構性機會
TSMC extends foundry lead to 70% share on AI demand
TSMC captured nearly 70% of the global foundry market in 2025, widening its lead over Samsung as AI chip production drove record revenue, according to multiple industry reports. The Taiwanese chipmaker's dominance stems from its advanced packaging capabilities, particularly CoWoS capacity which remains a bottleneck through 2027, and leading-edge EUV process nodes required for GPU and HBM production. Samsung's foundry share continues to contract as the company struggles with yield issues on advanced nodes. The concentration risk is drawing attention from fabless chip designers, but TSMC's two-year lead in advanced packaging and superior process reliability leave limited alternatives for high-performance AI accelerators in the near term.
Linked stocks: TSM, 005930.KS
Sources: Google News, Google News
Memory pricing surge triggers PC shipment forecast cuts
Global PC shipments are projected to decline 12% in 2026 to 245 million units as surging memory and storage costs outpace end-market demand, according to Omdia. The pricing pressure is compounding inventory digestion challenges, particularly in the consumer notebook segment. Commercial PC demand tied to Windows refresh cycles remains relatively stable, but consumer discretionary purchases are deferring.
Linked stocks: MU, 005930.KS, WDC
Sources: 記憶體價格狂飆 Omdia：2026年全球PC出貨年減12％, 記憶體與儲存元件成本攀高，公部門資訊設備標案投標意願轉冷
Amazon partners with Cerebras on wafer-scale inference chips
Amazon Web Services will offer Cerebras Systems' WSE-3 wafer-scale chips on its cloud platform, marking AWS's first major adoption of non-Nvidia AI accelerators for inference workloads. Cerebras' chips use a single wafer-scale design optimizing for inference tasks. The partnership reflects growing customer demand for inference-optimized silicon as AI applications scale beyond model training.
Linked stocks: AMZN, NVDA
Sources: Google News, Google News
Meta reportedly planning layoffs affecting 20%+ of workforce
Meta Platforms is preparing large-scale layoffs that may impact 20% or more of its workforce, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company seeks to offset rising AI infrastructure spending. The reductions would follow Meta's "year of efficiency" restructuring in 2023 and reflect management's expectation that AI agents and coding tools will allow fewer employees to maintain productivity levels. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously stated generative AI would enable leaner teams, particularly in engineering and content moderation. The job cuts coincide with Meta pausing part of its major internet-expansion efforts in Africa due to Iran conflict, as the company also redirects capital toward AI datacenter buildouts in the US.
Linked stocks: META
Sources: Google News, 路透：AI成本攀升 Meta計劃大規模裁員
先聲 First Word — Exclusives from Chinese-Language Sources
Yiding memory modules surge into thousand-dollar club on AI momentum
工控記憶體模組廠宜鼎（5289）單周飆漲26%，股價突破千元大關收在1,015元，成為首家記憶體模組千金股。 The rally coincides with surging DRAM and NAND flash pricing driven by AI server demand. Yiding's subsidiary Aetina is an Nvidia partner and will showcase physical AI and edge robotics solutions at next week's GTC conference, highlighting the company's pivot from industrial control applications toward AI edge infrastructure. Trading volume reached 23,500 shares for the week, matching prior week levels despite the sharp price appreciation.
(14 Mar 2026)
Source: 〈熱門股〉宜鼎單周飆漲26% 躋身千金俱樂部
Unimicron upgraded on light communication, IC substrate, AI server triple drivers
本土投顧法人將臻鼎-KY（4958）投資評等由「逢低買進」調升至「買進」，目標價由160元大幅上修至247元。 The upgrade reflects three simultaneous growth drivers: AI server HDI and HLC products entering production for GPU and ASIC customers; optical communication business with strong order visibility for 800G and 1.6T products; and IC substrate revenue growing 50% YoY in first two months of 2026. The company plans capex of 500 billion yuan this year, with plans to expand 10 buildings/facilities, with Thailand phase one reaching full utilization in 2Q26 and Kaohsiung ABF/advanced PCB/flex circuit capacity contributing revenue and reaching breakeven in 2Q26.
(14 Mar 2026)
Source: 臻鼎-KY營運動能爆發 目標價上調逾五成 背後這3大利多支撐
Touch Taiwan adds silicon photonics zone as CPO enters production phase
Touch Taiwan 2026系列展新增「矽光子專區」，匯集矽光子設計、光通訊模組、先進封裝、半導體設備與關鍵材料廠商。 The April 8-10 event will feature international forums with AMD, Ennostar, Forepi, Resonac, ASE, and other participants discussing CPO technology roadmaps, high-efficiency optical coupling, photonics-CMOS heterogeneous integration, and advanced packaging architectures. The dedicated zone and programming reflect industry consensus that silicon photonics is transitioning from R&D to volume production for AI datacenter optical interconnect applications.
(14 Mar 2026)
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