Hmm, well lets see.
SIMO is in about 30% of PCs/notebooks, and perhaps 15%-25% of cell phones. SIMO's presence is probably larger outside the USA than inside the USA, since SIMO isn't in iPhone (big in the USA) in phones, SIMO is big in Chinese smartphones (not even in the USA), and perhaps SIMO in PCs' is more outside the USA than inside the USA.
Perhaps that is national security, and perhaps that is valuable for the trade wars.
I wonder if QCOM or Intel should buy SIMO, in order to own that low end but ubiquitous controller chip? I wouldn't mind seeing an all stock (or cash offer) for SIMO, then have the Hart Scott Rodino waiting period expedited (since the MXL acquisition was approved, this shouldn't be too hard), then while the Chinese regulator dithers, just close the deal without Chinese approval.
If China then blocks the sale of SIMO's controllers inside China, they would be just blowing up their own supply chains as probably 40% - 75% of PCs and cell phones made in China could not be made without their SIMO controllers.
Then perhaps NVDA (??) could acquire MediaTek. And TSMC could acquire Intel.
This would solidify US-Taiwan partnership and control of the semiconductor and semiconductor fabrication industry. It would make it a lot harder for China to attack Taiwan (we'd fight 'em if had a reason), and give the US more control and China a lot less entry into the semiconductor industry, and without semiconductors China is never going to be economically independent.
In other words cement our relationship with Taiwan through cross ownership of their biggest core tech firms, in the way that Trump perhaps want to cement our relationship with Ukraine by having the US own their mineral deposits. |
