JUST IN: Samsung is reportedly targeting an exit from its 8-inch foundry business by the end of 2029, a year earlier than the previously reported 2030 timeline, according to Korea’s Dealsite, cited by DIGITIMES. DIGITIMES also reports that Samsung has outsourced some production to foundries including $UMC as it shifts resources toward 12-inch manufacturing. Moving existing products to another foundry can take around 6–12 months, industry sources cited in the report estimate, as process conditions need adjustment and customers must qualify the new production source. With global 8-inch capacity shrinking, some customers may be ordering more from Samsung now to build inventory ahead of the transition. We think that could pull purchases forward, making stronger near-term orders an imperfect measure of underlying demand.

JUST IN: Micron’s $MU Taoyuan union says its push for a profit-sharing system has been unsuccessful and will skip labor talks scheduled for Nov. 17. In a Nov. 12 open letter, the union said it would instead hold a protest press conference at Taiwan’s ruling party headquarters that day. It also plans to continue organizing a union across Micron’s Taiwan sites. The dispute remains unresolved. Today’s announcement provides no confirmation that work on the reportedly paused Taoyuan fab expansion has resumed.