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Malaysia Discusses Absorbing Potential U.S. Semiconductor Tariffs with Chip Companies

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Malaysia is engaging with local semiconductor companies to discuss whether they can absorb the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on chips, according to Trade Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz. The Southeast Asian country, which is a key player in the global semiconductor industry, is home to major U.S. chipmakers such as Intel and GlobalFoundries and is one of the leading exporters of chips to the United States.

In February, U.S. President Donald Trump announced intentions to impose tariffs of “25% or higher” on semiconductors, though the timeline for this decision remains unclear. Malaysia’s government is assessing the potential impact of these tariffs, with discussions focusing on whether the cost would be absorbed by the companies or passed on to consumers.

Tengku Zafrul stated that while exports would continue, someone would need to bear the increased cost, and it remains unclear whether the government will offer financial support to mitigate the effects of these tariffs. In 2023, Malaysia exported $16.2 billion worth of chips to the U.S., accounting for almost 20% of all U.S. semiconductor imports, highlighting the potential impact of the tariffs on Malaysia’s economy.

Regarding the growth of Malaysia’s data center industry, Tengku Zafrul assured that export restrictions on advanced chips imposed by the previous U.S. administration would not significantly affect the sector. The demand for artificial intelligence (AI) continues to drive investments, with U.S. tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Oracle establishing data centers in Malaysia.

However, the new restrictions, which take effect in May, limit U.S. cloud providers’ AI computing power deployment outside the U.S. to 50%, with only 7% allowed in countries like Malaysia that do not have privileged access to U.S. chips. Despite these restrictions, Tengku Zafrul emphasized that Malaysia’s data centers would not be affected, citing that U.S. companies operating in the country have adequate allocations under the new rules.

The strong growth of the data center sector in Malaysia is expected to continue, fueled by the high demand for AI technologies.

UK Demands Unprecedented Access to Apple Users’ Encrypted Cloud Data

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The UK government has reportedly ordered Apple to provide broad access to encrypted user data stored on its cloud service, according to a Washington Post report on Friday. This request is reportedly far-reaching, as it seeks blanket access to all encrypted data, rather than just a specific account, making it one of the most expansive demands in major democracies.

The order comes under the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which allows the government to intercept communications and obtain data for security purposes. However, the level of access demanded from Apple in this case has never been requested before. The UK Interior Ministry has declined to comment, and Apple did not respond to inquiries outside of regular business hours.

Apple’s cloud services offer a feature called Advanced Data Protection, allowing users to lock their data with encryption that only they can unlock. This system is a safeguard that even Apple cannot override, ensuring user privacy. However, the UK government’s demand seeks to bypass these privacy protections, raising significant concerns about privacy and encryption rights.

This order follows a broader UK initiative to update its laws, including changes to the Investigatory Powers Act and the introduction of the Online Safety Act of 2023. The latter requires companies to address harmful content, such as child sexual abuse material, on their platforms, but tech firms like Meta (with WhatsApp) and Signal have voiced concerns about how such regulations could undermine encryption.

In the past, Apple has resisted similar government demands. In 2016, the company fought off a U.S. court order to unlock an encrypted iPhone connected to a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.

Chinese Chip Makers and Cloud Providers Rush to Support DeepSeek’s AI Models

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Chinese chip makers and cloud service providers are quickly integrating DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence models into their systems, marking a significant turning point for the nation’s AI industry. Companies like Moore Threads and Hygon Information Technology, both AI chip manufacturers, announced that their computing clusters and accelerators are now compatible with DeepSeek’s R1 and V3 models. Moore Threads even shared a celebratory post on WeChat, praising DeepSeek’s ability to drive China’s AI sector forward by utilizing domestically produced graphic processing units (GPUs).

Huawei Technologies, which also develops AI chips, revealed it is collaborating with AI infrastructure startup SiliconFlow to integrate DeepSeek’s models into its Ascend cloud service. This integration has been described as a “watershed moment” by Bernstein analysts, highlighting the growing independence of China’s AI sector from advanced U.S. hardware.

Cloud giants like Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent have also jumped on board, offering DeepSeek’s models through their respective services. DeepSeek’s AI assistant, launched last month, quickly gained popularity by offering a more data-efficient alternative at a fraction of the cost of global competitors, surpassing ChatGPT in app downloads from Apple’s App Store within days.

The company has drawn attention globally with its groundbreaking approach. DeepSeek’s research, published in December, claimed that its V3 model’s training cost less than $6 million in Nvidia’s H800 chips—significantly lower than the billions spent by companies like Meta and Microsoft. This has been a major factor in DeepSeek’s rising prominence, with its founder, Liang Wenfeng, becoming a cultural figure in China.

While Microsoft and Amazon have started offering DeepSeek’s models, some countries, including Italy and the Netherlands, have raised concerns over privacy, leading them to either block or investigate the AI app.