{"generatedAt":"2026-10-14T13:13:00.223Z","notice":"Accepted events only. Each names the bottlenecks it bears on and whether it tightens or loosens them. Leads found by the sweep are counted, not listed, until a person accepts them.","accepted":24,"candidatesAwaitingReview":275,"sweepRanAt":"2026-10-14T08:20:06.117Z","sweep":{"readable":true,"lastRunAt":"2026-10-14T08:20:06.117Z","openCandidates":275,"expiredCandidates":0,"nodesCovered":33,"nodesTotal":33,"blind":0},"events":[{"id":"2026-09-14-eu-dual-use-list-adds-ru-ald","date":"2026-09-14","headline":"The EU updates its dual-use control list to add atomic layer deposition equipment for molybdenum and ruthenium.","kind":"policy","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Ruthenium, sputtering and ALD grade"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["EU"],"source":"https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/2026-update-eu-control-list-dual-use-items-2026-09-14_en","primary":true,"quote":"Specifically, this update of the EU control list provides for the addition of new dual-use items, including: Semiconductor manufacturing and testing equipment and materials (e.g. Atomic Layer Deposition equipment for molybdenum and Ruthenium, equipment for the development and the inspection of Extreme Ultra-Violet masks and reticles, and single wafer cleaning equipment)","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["ruthenium-sputtering-and-ald-grade"]},{"id":"2026-09-14-arcelormittal-china-oriental-electrical-steel","date":"2026-09-14","headline":"ArcelorMittal and China Oriental open a 1.8 Mt/yr electrical steel joint venture in Changzhou; the first phase is non-oriented.","kind":"capacity","effect":"neutral","bottlenecks":["Grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES)"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["CN"],"source":"https://gmk.center/en/news/arcelormittal-and-china-oriental-are-to-produce-electrical-steel-in-china/","primary":false,"quote":"The total production capacity of the facility in Changzhou will be 1.8 million tonnes of high-quality electrical steel sheets.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["grain-oriented-electrical-steel-goes"]},{"id":"2026-09-13-shanghai-electric-first-overseas-turbine-order","date":"2026-09-13","headline":"Shanghai Electric wins its first overseas heavy-duty gas turbine order, 500 MW in Malaysia.","kind":"milestone","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Heavy-duty gas turbine order books"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["CN","MY"],"source":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shanghai-electric-secures-first-overseas-heavy-duty-gas-turbine-order-for-500-mw-malaysian-project-302876154.html","primary":true,"quote":"Shanghai Electric Secures First Overseas Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Order for 500 MW Malaysian Project / Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 02727, SSE: 601727) has achieved a milestone in the high-end overseas energy sector by securing the contract for Unit 3 of the Sarawak Samalaju Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) project in Malaysia.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["heavy-duty-gas-turbine-order-books"]},{"id":"2026-09-10-china-november-rare-earth-controls","date":"2026-09-10","headline":"China’s November export controls will test whether rare-earth refining and recycling outside it can scale.","kind":"policy","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Dysprosium metal","Didymium (Nd-Pr) metal, magnet feed","Rare-earth magnet sintering"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["CN"],"source":"https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/chinas-looming-november-export-controls-test-rare-earth-refining-recycling-ambitions/","primary":false,"quote":"For decades, China has been the dominant supplier of the rare earths required to produce sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets: neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr), dysprosium and terbium.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["dysprosium-metal","didymium-nd-pr-metal-magnet-feed","rare-earth-magnet-sintering"]},{"id":"2026-09-05-wacker-charleston-closure-risk","date":"2026-09-05","headline":"Wacker’s 600-worker Charleston polysilicon plant may close after a US trade measure drove off both its customers.","kind":"capacity","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Electronic-grade polysilicon"],"participants":["Wacker Chemie"],"jurisdictions":["US","DE"],"source":"https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/sep/05/polysilicon-plant-at-risk-of-closure/","primary":false,"quote":"The move follows a White House proclamation last month that seeks to incentivize purchases of American polysilicon, the sources said, declining to be named because the matter was not public.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["electronic-grade-polysilicon"]},{"id":"2026-08-27-tokuyama-vietnam-polysilicon","date":"2026-08-27","headline":"Tokuyama opens a polysilicon factory in Vietnam.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Electronic-grade polysilicon"],"participants":["Tokuyama"],"jurisdictions":["VN","JP"],"source":"https://www.pv-magazine-india.com/2026/08/27/japans-tokuyama-opens-polysilicon-factory-in-vietnam/","primary":true,"quote":"Japan's Tokuyama opens polysilicon factory in Vietnam.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["electronic-grade-polysilicon"]},{"id":"2026-08-15-samsung-backend-to-vietnam-for-hbm","date":"2026-08-15","headline":"Samsung weighs moving legacy memory packaging to Vietnam to free Korean lines for HBM stacking.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["High-bandwidth memory stacking yield"],"participants":["Samsung Memory"],"jurisdictions":["KR","VN"],"source":"https://www.techtimes.com/articles/324595/20260815/samsung-weighs-shipping-legacy-memory-backend-vietnam-unlock-hbm-capacity.htm","primary":true,"quote":"A move that would free floor space and specialized equipment lines at both sites for the high-bandwidth memory stacking work.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["high-bandwidth-memory-stacking-yield"]},{"id":"2026-07-31-semi-q2-wafer-shipments","date":"2026-07-31","headline":"Silicon wafer shipments reached 3,573 million square inches in the second quarter, up 7.4% on the year.","kind":"capacity","effect":"neutral","bottlenecks":["300 mm prime silicon wafers"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":[],"source":"https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/semi-reports-7-4-rise-in-silicon-wafer-shipments/","primary":false,"quote":"According to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG), worldwide silicon wafer shipments reached 3,573 million square inches (MSI) in the second quarter of 2026.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["300-mm-prime-silicon-wafers"]},{"id":"2026-07-30-samsung-taylor-second-fab","date":"2026-07-30","headline":"Samsung brings its first Taylor, Texas fab online and will start a second by year end, warning the shortage runs to 2028.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Leading-edge foundry capacity"],"participants":["Samsung Foundry"],"jurisdictions":["US","KR"],"source":"https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10825142","primary":false,"quote":"Samsung Electronics is accelerating its US chip expansion, bringing its first Taylor, Texas, foundry online this year and starting construction of a second fab by year-end.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["leading-edge-foundry-capacity"]},{"id":"2026-07-29-suss-plans-a-45-million-advanced","date":"2026-07-29","headline":"SUSS plans a €45 million Advanced Packaging application and development center in Karlsruhe.","kind":"milestone","effect":"neutral","bottlenecks":["Advanced packaging capacity"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["DE"],"source":"https://www.suss.com/en/news/corporate-news/2026/suss-invests-in-advanced-packaging-innovation-center-to-support-further-growth","primary":true,"quote":"SUSS, a leading manufacturer of equipment and process solutions for the semiconductor industry, plans to invest approximately €45 million in a new application and development center in Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg, Germany), significantly expanding its innovation capacities in Advanced Packaging.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-24","bottleneckSlugs":["advanced-packaging-capacity"]},{"id":"2026-07-28-oci-polysilicon-double","date":"2026-07-28","headline":"OCI Holdings plans to double polysilicon production capacity by 2029 to meet US demand.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Electronic-grade polysilicon"],"participants":["OCI"],"jurisdictions":["KR","MY","US"],"source":"https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/07/28/oci-holdings-plans-to-double-polysilicon-production-capacity-by-2029/","primary":true,"quote":"OCI Holdings plans to double polysilicon production capacity by 2029.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["electronic-grade-polysilicon"]},{"id":"2026-07-17-sk-siltron-css-liquidation","date":"2026-07-17","headline":"SK Siltron is liquidating SK Siltron CSS, its US silicon carbide wafer subsidiary, by year end.","kind":"capacity","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Silicon carbide substrate, 200 mm semi-insulating"],"participants":["SK Siltron"],"jurisdictions":["US","KR"],"source":"https://www.thelec.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=12315","primary":true,"quote":"SK Siltron is proceeding with the liquidation of SK Siltron CSS, its SiC wafer manufacturing subsidiary located in Michigan. The process is expected to be completed by the end of this year.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["silicon-carbide-substrate-200-mm-semi-insulating"]},{"id":"2026-06-30-quartz-corp-restructures-us","date":"2026-06-30","headline":"The Quartz Corp restructures its US operations, citing persistent losses in its renewable-energy business.","kind":"filing","effect":"neutral","bottlenecks":["Crucible-grade high-purity quartz sand"],"participants":["The Quartz Corp"],"jurisdictions":["US","NO"],"source":"https://www.thequartzcorp.com/articles/restructuring-us","primary":true,"quote":"The renewable energy industry, a significant business area for The Quartz Corp (TQC), is affected internationally by persistent losses.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["crucible-grade-high-purity-quartz-sand"]},{"id":"2026-06-30-quartz-corp-spruce-pine-closure","date":"2026-06-30","headline":"The Quartz Corp indefinitely closes one of its Spruce Pine plants, the most concentrated node in the chain.","kind":"capacity","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Crucible-grade high-purity quartz sand"],"participants":["The Quartz Corp"],"jurisdictions":["US"],"source":"https://www.thequartzcorp.com/articles/restructuring-us","primary":true,"quote":"We are stabilizing our operations including the indefinite closure of one quartz production facility located at Altapass Highway in Spruce Pine, NC, U.S. and reducing our workforce by 20-30 people as a result.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["crucible-grade-high-purity-quartz-sand"]},{"id":"2026-06-14-energy-fuels-dysprosium-terbium","date":"2026-06-14","headline":"Energy Fuels begins converting White Mesa to commercial dysprosium and terbium production from July.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Dysprosium metal"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["US"],"source":"https://www.boerse-global.de/energy-fuels-aktie-dysprosium-produktion-ab-juli-2026/797298","primary":false,"quote":"Energy Fuels startet im Juli die Umstellung auf die Produktion von Dysprosium und Terbium, während die Uranförderung am unteren Ende der Prognose bleibt.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["dysprosium-metal"]},{"id":"2026-04-23-japan-photoresist-solvent-shortage","date":"2026-04-23","headline":"Japanese photoresist makers warn Samsung and SK hynix that the Iran war has cut supply of the solvents the chemistry needs.","kind":"outage","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Photoresist formulation"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["JP","KR"],"source":"https://www.thelec.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=6735","primary":false,"quote":"A shortage of key solvents is disrupting production of photoresist and other photolithography materials in Japan.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["photoresist-formulation"]},{"id":"2026-04-15-asml-60-euv-shipments","date":"2026-04-15","headline":"ASML plans to ship more than 60 EUV scanners in 2026, high-NA and low-NA together, on memory demand.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["EUV lithography scanners"],"participants":["ASML"],"jurisdictions":["NL"],"source":"https://www.techpowerup.com/348239/asml-targets-60-euv-shipments-in-2026-as-memory-demand-surges","primary":true,"quote":"In the latest Q1 2026 quarterly figures, ASML announced plans to ship over 60 EUV units this year, including both High-NA and Low-NA EUV lithography scanners.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["euv-lithography-scanners"]},{"id":"2026-03-27-eu-goes-safeguard-investigation","date":"2026-03-27","headline":"The European Commission opens a safeguard investigation into imports of grain-oriented electrical steel.","kind":"policy","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES)"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["EU"],"source":"https://aslgate.com/european-union-officially-initiates-safeguard-investigation-on-grain-oriented-electrical-steel-goes/","primary":true,"quote":"on March 27, 2026, the European Commission issued a notice initiating a safeguard investigation on certain Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) products.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["grain-oriented-electrical-steel-goes"]},{"id":"2026-03-18-iran-war-helium-shortage","date":"2026-03-18","headline":"The war that began in Iran in February triggers a helium shortage that could slow chip production.","kind":"outage","effect":"tightens","bottlenecks":["Liquid helium (He-4)"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["QA","IR"],"source":"https://www.dw.com/en/iran-war-helium-semiconductor-industry-chips-oil-qatar-us-evs-smartphones/a-76380869","primary":false,"quote":"Among the latest geopolitical uncertainties for the industry is a shortage of helium that could slow global production.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["liquid-helium-he-4"]},{"id":"2025-12-03-coherent-sic-300mm","date":"2025-12-03","headline":"Coherent adds 300 mm capability to its silicon carbide platform, citing AI and datacentre power demand.","kind":"capacity","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Silicon carbide substrate, 200 mm semi-insulating"],"participants":["Coherent"],"jurisdictions":["US"],"source":"https://www.coherent.com/news/press-releases/Coherent-expands-silicon-carbide-platform-with-300mm-capability-to-support-growing-demand-of-ai-and-datacenters","primary":true,"quote":"Coherent expands silicon carbide platform with 300mm capability to support growing demand of AI and datacenters.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["silicon-carbide-substrate-200-mm-semi-insulating"]},{"id":"2025-12-02-nabtesco-rvmini-monocrank","date":"2025-12-02","headline":"Nabtesco launches two compact precision reduction gear series aimed at smaller robot joints.","kind":"milestone","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Precision reduction drives"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["JP"],"source":"https://www.nabtesco.com/en/news/20251202-17329/","primary":true,"quote":"will add two new products to its lineup: the “RVmini® Series,” a compact and lightweight high-precision strain wave generators, and the “Monocrank™ Series,” which achieves high precision and high rigidity despite its compact size.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["precision-reduction-drives"]},{"id":"2025-11-07-mofcom-suspends-october-package","date":"2025-11-07","headline":"China suspends the export-control package it issued a month earlier, including its gallium measures, until November 2026.","kind":"policy","effect":"loosens","bottlenecks":["Gallium, refined"],"participants":[],"jurisdictions":["CN"],"source":"https://www.gvw.com/en/news/blog/detail/china-export-control-update","primary":false,"quote":"On November 7, 2025, MOFCOM announced the suspension of the entire package of export controls issued just one month prior.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["gallium-refined"]},{"id":"2024-03-26-wolfspeed-siler-city-topping-out","date":"2024-03-26","headline":"Wolfspeed tops out its $5bn 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grade"],"participants":["TSMC"],"jurisdictions":["TW"],"source":"https://www.tomshardware.com/news/tsmc-to-build-neon-supply-chain-in-taiwan","primary":true,"quote":"TSMC to Build Neon Supply Chain After Russia Decimated Global Supply.","acceptedOn":"2026-09-15","bottleneckSlugs":["neon-excimer-laser-grade"]}]}