Industry Insights

Regular reads on global technology trends and supply chains—AI, semiconductors, robotics, EVs, energy—plus China-Korea trade, policy shifts, and sourcing signals.

Core Topic

China-Korea Trade Trends

A topic page for reading the direction of China-Korea trade through tariffs, FTA updates, policy changes, and export structure shifts.

Sourcing Watch

Sourcing China for Korean Buyers

Tracks the channels, replenishment patterns, compliance signals, and buying behaviors that matter when Korean buyers source from China.

Sector Cluster

Key Industry Watch

Groups sector-specific signals across glass, beauty, packaging, and retail where market shifts often connect directly to sourcing decisions.

Tech Topic

Global Tech Watch

A topic page tracking public data and momentum across global technology sectors—AI infrastructure, semiconductors, robotics, EVs, energy, and space.

Global solid-state battery market: ~$1.67B (2025), $12.56B (2030), $48.23B (2035) — Roots Analysis
Battery Technology · 2026-06-22

Solid-State Batteries Approach Commercialization: 2030 Market May Top $12.5B as China-Japan-Korea Converge on 2027-2028 Mass Production

Solid-state batteries are moving from the lab to the eve of mass production. Roots Analysis projects the global market growing from ~$1.67B in 2025 to $12.56B by 2030 and $48.23B by 2035; while 2035 estimates range from $9B to $48B across firms, the direction is firmly upward. Mass-production timelines at Toyota, Samsung SDI, CATL and BYD are converging on 2027-2028, heralding a new battery era built on safety and energy density.

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Global quantum computing market: $2.70B (2024), $3.52B (2025), $20.20B (2030), 41.8% CAGR — MarketsandMarkets
Quantum Computing · 2026-06-22

Quantum Computing Hits the Commercialization Fast Lane: Market Eyes $20.2B by 2030 as the Qubit Race Leaps From 105 to 4,000+

Quantum computing is moving from research to the commercial frontier. MarketsandMarkets expects the global market to grow from $2.70B in 2024 and $3.52B in 2025 to $20.20B by 2030, a 41.8% CAGR. On hardware, Google's Willow chip reached 105 qubits with an error-correction breakthrough, Fujitsu and RIKEN plan a 1,000-qubit machine in 2026, and IBM targets systems exceeding 4,000 qubits. With compute, error correction and cloud services advancing in parallel, the industrialization narrative is accelerating.

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Share of enterprise apps with task-specific AI agents: under 5% in 2025 rising to 40% in 2026 (Gartner)
Artificial Intelligence · 2026-06-22

Agentic AI Enters the Enterprise: Embedded in 40% of Apps in 2026, but Stuck on the Last Mile

In 2026, agentic AI has become the central enterprise-deployment topic. Gartner expects 40% of enterprise applications to embed task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, up from under 5% in 2025; the global AI-agents market is around $10.9-12.1B, growing at a 44-46% CAGR. Yet a clear gap remains: roughly 79% of enterprises have adopted agents to some degree, but only about 11% are in full production, and Gartner warns that over 40% of agentic projects may be canceled by end-2027. Opportunity and reality coexist.

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Estimated 2026 capex of the five hyperscalers (Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle)
AI Infrastructure · 2026-06-19

AI Infrastructure Enters the Trillion-Dollar Era: Big-Five Hyperscaler 2026 Capex Nears $725B as Power Becomes the New Bottleneck

In 2026, hyperscaler AI-infrastructure investment is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle together are expected to spend $690-725 billion in capex—up roughly 36-64% year over year, with about 75% going directly to AI. Meanwhile the IEA projects global data-center electricity use roughly doubling from ~485 TWh in 2025 to ~950 TWh by 2030. The combined pull on compute, power and components is reshaping global supply chains.

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Humanoid market-size outlook: Goldman ~$38B (2035), Morgan Stanley ~$5T (2050)
Robotics · 2026-06-19

The Year Humanoids Commercialize: Mass Production Begins in 2026 as the Market Stretches From $38B Toward a $5 Trillion Vision

2026 is seen as the year humanoid robots commercialize. Goldman Sachs expects global shipments of 50,000-100,000 units this year, marking the shift from research and pilots to scaled production. Goldman sees the market reaching ~$38 billion by 2035 with annual shipments potentially topping one million units; Morgan Stanley is more bullish, projecting over one billion humanoids deployed globally by 2050 and a $5 trillion market in its bull case. Powered by actuators, reducers, sensors and AI 'brains,' a brand-new intelligent-hardware supply chain is taking shape.

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Global EV sales: ~17M in 2024 to ~23M in 2026 (BEV + PHEV)
Electric Vehicles · 2026-06-19

Global EVs in 2026: Sales Head Toward 23 Million, Penetration Nears 30%, and Growth Shifts to Emerging Markets

In 2026, the global EV market keeps setting records. The IEA expects full-year EV sales of ~23 million units, about 28% of global new-car sales; BloombergNEF lands close: ~23 million units, up ~11% year over year, with ~27% penetration. Behind the two houses' tightly aligned forecasts is a market crossing a tipping point—even as China and the US faced slower growth in Q1 2026, emerging markets and hybrids are taking over as the new engines of growth.

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Global AI smart glasses shipments (2023-2026E, million units)
Smart Hardware · 2026-06-07

AI Smart Glasses Boom: Global Shipments Hit 8.7M in 2025 (+322%), China Emerges as Fastest-Growing Market

Per Omdia, global AI smart glasses shipments reached 8.7 million units in 2025, up 322% year-on-year, with 2026 forecast to exceed 15 million. Mainland China became the second-largest and fastest-growing market at ~10.9% share. China's supply-chain strength in display modules, acoustics and batteries is creating new OEM and sourcing opportunities for Korean and global brands.

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Global data-center liquid-cooling market size (2025-2035E, USD billion)
AI Infrastructure · 2026-06-07

AI Compute Sparks Liquid-Cooling Revolution: Global Market to Reach $27.1B by 2035, China Leads APAC Adoption

Surging AI-server power density is reshaping data-center cooling. The global data-center liquid-cooling market is forecast to grow from $4.8B in 2025 to $6B in 2026 and $27.1B by 2035, an 18.2% CAGR. With a strict PUE ≤1.3 policy and large-scale deployments by Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance and Huawei, China leads APAC liquid-cooling adoption, opening growth space for related equipment and materials trade.

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Satellites in orbit: Starlink vs China's constellations (June 2026)
Satellite Internet · 2026-06-07

China's Satellite Internet Accelerates: Qianfan and Guowang Target Starlink as the Mega-Constellation Race Begins

As of June 2026, SpaceX's Starlink has deployed over 10,400 satellites, while China's Qianfan (~200) and Guowang (~168) remain at an early stage. Yet the two constellations together plan over 28,000 satellites, with Qianfan targeting 5,000 launches in a single year by 2030. Across LEO satellite manufacturing, launch capacity and terminal equipment, China is mounting a mega-constellation race over digital-infrastructure sovereignty, driving global sourcing demand across the value chain.

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2025 China humanoid robot shipment distribution by company
Robotics & Automation · 2026-05-25

China’s Humanoid Robot Industry Surge: 20,000 Units Shipped in 2025 Capturing 90% Global Share, 2026 Production Forecast Up 94%

Chinese humanoid robot firms shipped ~20,000 units in 2025, with AgiBot and Unitree each exceeding 5,000 units, capturing ~90% of global installations. TrendForce projects 94% production growth in 2026, and Morgan Stanley doubled its delivery forecast to 28,000 units. Korea’s Smart Factory expo hosted five Chinese humanoid firms for the first time.

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2024 global industrial robot density comparison by country
Smart Manufacturing · 2026-05-25

China-Korea Smart Manufacturing Convergence: Korea’s Global-Leading 1,012 Robot Density Meets China’s 54% Industrial Robot Installation Share

Korea leads globally with 1,012 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers. China installed 295,000 units in 2024 (54% global share). Korea’s 2026 smart factory budget rose 70% to KRW 402B, while China’s MIIT blueprint pushes large AI models into manufacturing. Their automation complementarity is creating new trade opportunities.

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Data chart: Korea cross-border ecommerce purchase origins—China dominates at 62%, followed by US at 19% and EU at 6.7%.
Cross-Border E-Commerce Insight · 2026-05-11

Chinese Cross-Border E-Commerce Faces Safety Crackdown in Korea: From Product to Data Compliance

Chinese cross-border platforms command 62% of Korea's overseas direct purchase market, but Seoul inspections found 144 products with toxic substances exceeding safe limits. KFTC launched data compliance investigations. 2026 is the industry's 'Year of Compliance' as product safety, data protection, and consumer rights regulations escalate simultaneously.

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China micro-drama market revenue growth (2021-2025E): from $0.5B to $9.4B, surpassing box office revenue.
Cultural Content & IP · 2026-04-18

The New Frontier of Short-Form Drama: China-Korea's Billion-Dollar Micro-Drama Competition and Cooperation

China's micro-drama market revenue surged from $0.5B in 2021 to a projected $9.4B in 2025, set to surpass box office revenue. Meanwhile, Korean short-form drama platforms exploded from 21 to 89 between 2023 and 2025. Chinese platforms like ReelShort and DramaBox are competing and collaborating with Korean production teams on the global stage.

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Chart: Effective US tariff rate on Korean imports — from IEEPA escalation to Supreme Court reset to Section 122 replacement (2024-2026).
Policy & Tariffs · 2026-04-10

US Supreme Court Strikes Down IEEPA Tariffs: How the Ruling Reshapes China-Korea Trade

On February 20, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that IEEPA does not authorize presidential tariffs, invalidating all related executive orders. This landmark decision reshapes not only US-Korea trade law but introduces new variables for China-Korea commerce. We trace the full arc from IEEPA escalation to judicial reset and analyze impacts on supply chains, cross-border e-commerce, and exporters.

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Chart: Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform MAU in Korea as of mid-2025 — AliExpress leads with 9M, followed by Temu at 5.2M and SHEIN at 2.8M.
Cross-Border E-Commerce · 2026-04-10

AliExpress, Temu, SHEIN Sweep Korea: How Chinese Cross-Border Platforms Are Reshaping Korean Consumer Markets

Korean consumers spent $3.1 billion on Chinese e-commerce platforms in 2024, an 84% YoY surge. AliExpress leads with 9 million monthly active users, followed by Temu and SHEIN. This China-platform-led cross-border wave is fundamentally changing Korea's retail competition, logistics infrastructure demands, and the microstructure of China-Korea trade.

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Chart: China's cosmetics exports to Korea surged from $2.58M in 2022 to $55.83M in Jan-Nov 2025, over 20x growth in four years.
Beauty Insight · 2026-04-10

C-Beauty's Reverse Entry Into Korea: From OEM Follower to Brand Exporter

In the first 11 months of 2025, China's cosmetics exports to Korea reached $55.83 million, surpassing all of 2024. Korean consumers' cross-border purchases of Chinese cosmetics hit $155 million in Q1-Q3 2025, up 39.6% YoY. The China-Korea beauty trade — once defined by K-beauty's dominance — is undergoing a quiet role reversal.

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Public chart: Korea is already the third-largest revenue market for Chinese game exports, making it a core destination rather than a marginal test bed.
Game Export Insight · 2026-04-09

Why Korea Remains the No. 3 Market for Chinese Game Exports: After Loot-Box Rules, Localization and Live Operations Matter More

Korea accounted for 9.15% of revenue destinations for Chinese self-developed game exports in 2025, ranking behind only the U.S. and Japan. At the same time, Korea's game market is still expanding and mobile continues to gain share. The real barrier is no longer market entry itself, but whether localization, compliance disclosure, and operating rhythm can be executed together.

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Official chart: Korea's overseas direct sales stayed above KRW 700 billion through 2025, but China-bound direct sales never returned to their early-year peak, while cosmetics remained the largest pillar.
Channel Insight · 2026-04-08

China-Bound D2C Cools While Japan and the U.S. Rise: How Korea's Beauty Direct Sales and Duty-Free Channels Are Being Rewired

Statistics Korea shows Korea's overseas direct sales rose to KRW 785.9 billion in Q4 2025, yet sales to China fell to KRW 298.9 billion, clearly below the level seen earlier in the year. Cosmetics remained the largest category, but the real shift is that traffic and fulfillment are moving away from one-market dependence toward a lighter multi-market channel structure.

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Official chart: In Korea's January 2026 online retail mix, household goods and home appliances both posted double-digit growth, confirming that home-use replenishment stayed strong at the start of the year.
Retail Insight · 2026-04-08

Household Goods and Small Appliances Move First: Why Korea's Online Replenishment Is Pulling in China's Home-Living Supply Chain

Statistics Korea's January 2026 online-shopping release shows household goods grew 16.3% year on year and home electric appliances rose 11.6%, both outpacing the broader market. Combined with KRW 200.1 billion in Q4 overseas direct purchases of home-and-auto goods, the signal is clear: Korean consumption is shifting from bulk promotion buying to higher-frequency, more fragmented home replenishment, pulling China's home-living supply chain back into the spotlight.

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Public chart: After entering Korea in January 2025, BYD reached 6,107 units for the year and 1,347 units in January 2026 alone, showing that Chinese brands are building real presence in Korea.
Auto Insight · 2026-04-08

BYD Sold 6,107 Cars in One Year. Next Comes Service: How Chinese EV Entry Is Reshaping Parts, Charging, and Aftermarket Flows in Korea

From its formal Korea entry in January 2025 to 6,107 units sold for the full year, BYD has already shown that Chinese EVs in Korea are no longer just a headline story. At the same time, KAMA's official 2026 outlook points to only low single-digit recovery for Korea's auto industry, meaning the next round of competition will extend far beyond vehicle pricing into parts, charging, repair, and service networks.

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Official chart: MOTIR's January-March 2026 export releases show China holding close to one-fifth of Korea's monthly exports, while recovering to USD 16.5 billion in March as total exports hit a record high.
Trade Trend Insight · 2026-04-05

Korea's Exports to China Re-Accelerated in Q1 2026: Not a Return to the Old Cycle, but Growth Rebuilt on Higher-Value Flows

Official Korean export releases for January through March 2026 show exports to China moving from USD 13.5 billion in January and 12.8 billion in February to 16.5 billion in March. The bigger story is not the rebound alone, but the way semiconductors, computers, and consumer goods together put China back near the center of Korea's export structure.

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Official chart: Statistics Korea's 2025 direct-purchase data shows China staying above 60 percent of Korea's overseas direct-purchase mix in every quarter, indicating that Chinese platforms are not being treated as a temporary substitute.
Cross-Border Ecommerce Insight · 2026-04-05

Why Korean Consumers Keep Buying from China: 2025 Overseas Direct-Purchase Data Points to Replenishment Speed, Not Just Low Prices

Across all four quarters of 2025, Statistics Korea shows China remaining Korea's largest source of overseas direct purchases, climbing from KRW 1.2205 trillion in Q1 to KRW 1.4737 trillion in Q4. The more important signal is the stability of China's supply position across fashion, food, and daily-use categories.

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Official chart: Statistics Korea shows China remaining the No.1 destination for Korea's direct sales in every quarter of 2025, while cosmetics stayed the largest category throughout the year.
Beauty Export Insight · 2026-04-05

K-Beauty Sales to China Are Shifting from Traditional Distribution to D2C and Compliance Speed: What 2025 Direct-Sales Data Means for Packaging and Supply Chains

Statistics Korea's 2025 overseas direct-sales data kept China in the No.1 position across all four quarters, while Korean authorities simultaneously rolled out ecommerce HS-code support and new K-beauty export initiatives. For packaging, filling, warehousing, and brand-service operators, the real shift is that channel speed and compliance are now moving forward together.

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Official chart: KTC statistics show anti-dumping applications on a country basis rose from 10 in 2023 to 16 in 2024 and 17 in 2025, with 4 already filed by end-February 2026.
Policy & Trade Insight · 2026-04-05

The Korea-China FTA Is Accelerating Again, but Trade Remedies Are Tightening Too: Where the Real Opportunity Sits After Services Talks Restart

When firms hear that Korea and China are accelerating follow-up talks on FTA services and investment, they often assume the market is becoming easier again. The public signal from Korea says something more precise: institutional upgrading and dialogue are returning, while anti-dumping, circumvention control, and enforcement are moving further forward at the same time. The opportunity is not a looser market, but a clearer threshold for how business must be done.

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Official chart: KOREA PACK 2024 results show 20.7% decisive buyers and 37.3% active participants, with product research and market-trend scanning dominating visit purpose.
Exhibition & Channel Insight · 2026-04-05

KOREA PACK Is Selling More Than Booth Space: Why Korea’s Packaging Show Is Becoming an Early-Warning Channel for Korea-China Supply Chains

Many suppliers still treat major Korean packaging exhibitions as ordinary places to meet contacts, hand out brochures, and look at trends. The structure in KOREA PACK’s official results says something stronger. A combined 58.0% of visitors were decisive or actively involved in purchasing decisions, while 68.6% came primarily for product research or market-trend scanning. This makes the show less of a branding exercise and more of a concentrated window where Korean buyers screen the next round of supplier relationships.

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Official chart: Statistics Korea shows six selected online retail categories all posted year-on-year growth in January 2026, while mobile kept a 78.2% share of total transactions.
Retail & E-commerce Insight · 2026-04-05

Korea’s Online Demand Is Returning to a High-Frequency Replenishment Logic: Why January 2026 Matters for Korea-China Supply Timing

The signal in Statistics Korea’s January 2026 online shopping release is not a single breakout category. It is the simultaneous expansion of multiple high-frequency daily-use and service categories. Travel, food service, beverages, household goods, appliances, and cosmetics all moved higher year on year, while mobile still accounted for 78.2% of transactions. That suggests Korean platform demand is leaning less on isolated campaign spikes and more on faster, fragmented, replenishment-driven consumption.

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