China Maintains Chip Output in Wake of Virus Outbreak

By Barbara Jorgensen, EETimes (January 31, 2020)

It’s hard to square the “all is well” stance in China’s chip sector with reports from other markets. The outbreak will create a significant near-term reduction in LCD production in China, says IHS Markit.

Chinese chip companies in the Wuhan area are not cutting back on production despite the spread of a deadly coronavirus which had infected more than 10,000 people as of Friday.

Local companies in Wuhan, suddenly in spotlight, appear focused on downplaying the impact of the deadly virus. For example, Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd. (YMTC), a budding Wuhan-based manufacturer of 3D NAND flash, issued a statement this week, saying that it is taking steps to protect employees. It claims that current operations “are normal and orderly.”

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