Business Brief (July 2): Global Chipmakers Race for Hydrofluoric Acid as Prices Surge

Published: Jul. 2, 2026 5:36 p.m. GMT+8

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June Sales Improve for Top 100 Developers

Sales by China’s top 100 real estate developers reached nearly 1.6 trillion yuan ($236 billion) in the first half of the year, with the pace of decline narrowing for four consecutive months, according to China Index Academy Ltd.

After returning to month-on-month growth in May, sales for the top 100 developers rose 11.8% in June from the previous month.

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Top 100 Chinese developers’ first-half sales reached ~1.6 trillion yuan; June sales rose 11.8% month-on-month.
Chipmakers TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix rush electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid; price surged ~40% this year.
U.S. Justice Department cracks down on “birth tourism,” threatening visa fraud and other charges.

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Who’s Who

China Index Academy Ltd.: China Index Academy Ltd. is a research firm that tracks China's real estate market. It reported that sales by the top 100 developers reached nearly 1.6 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, with the decline narrowing for four consecutive months and June sales rising 11.8% month-on-month.

TSMC: TSMC, along with Samsung and SK Hynix, is ramping up procurement of electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, a key semiconductor material. Prices have surged about 40% this year due to Middle East tensions and increased demand from AI chip manufacturing.

Samsung Electronics: According to the article, Samsung Electronics is among chipmakers increasing procurement of electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, a key semiconductor material. Its price has surged about 40% this year due to Middle East tensions and rising AI chip manufacturing demand.

SK Hynix: SK Hynix, along with TSMC and Samsung, is increasing procurement of electronic-grade hydrofluoric acid, a key semiconductor material. Prices have surged ~40% due to Middle East tensions and rising AI chip demand.

AI generated, for reference only