Central Asia & Caucasus Data

A group of bipartisan lawmakers in the United States has introduced legislation to tighten restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, seeking to block Chinese chipmakers from accessing deep-ultraviolet (DUV) immersion lithography systems, as well as related parts and maintenance services. The Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware (MATCH) Act is designed to coordinate export The post US lawmakers seek to block China’s DUV lithography access appeared first on Asia Times.

South Korea’s decades of sacrifice are colliding with a more transactional United States – and that collision is raising hard questions about reciprocity, reliability and strategic autonomy. In 2013, South Korean President Park Geun-hye stood before a joint session of the United States Congress and delivered words that captured the essence of what South Korea The post For South Korea, an alliance in question appeared first on Asia Times.

New data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that inflation soared in March thanks in large part to increased energy costs stemming from President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. According to the BLS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) posted a month-over-month gain of 0.9% in March, led by a 10.9% increase in energy prices including a The post Trump aides caught with pants down as Iran war gooses inflation appeared first on Asia Times.

The war in Iran has led to a global energy crisis. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major energy chokepoint that handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil, has been largely blocked by Iran since hostilities broke out in late February. This has, at times, caused oil prices to rise above US$100 a The post Non-rich Asian states, hit hardest by Iran crisis, ration energy appeared first on Asia Times.