Overview
- Sharp confirmed the Foxconn acquisition fell through and said the K2 plant in Mie Prefecture will stop production in August.
- About 1,170 employees will be offered voluntary retirement, and Sharp plans to book roughly ¥10 billion in restructuring losses this fiscal year with additional losses next year.
- Foxconn withdrew citing weak LCD prices after initially planning to keep panel lines and add AI server production, and it is still evaluating the Kameyama complex for AI manufacturing.
- The K2 factory has supplied oxide LCD panels for some MacBook and iPad models, and TrendForce warns of possible short-term disruption.
- TrendForce estimates Apple represents only about 16–17% of K2 utilization and has several months to adjust, as Apple’s broader shift to OLED reduces longer-term reliance on these LCDs.