International Perspective · August 02, 2026
① Big Tech's $2.4T Datacenter Commitment: AI Infrastructure Enters Multi-Decade Investment Era [详见中文版] — Bloomberg analysis (Aug 1) of Big Tech regulatory filings: Alphabet's outstanding purchase commitments/contractual obligations/leases reached $902B (9x year-ago level). Meta's future spending commitments approached $700B (8x+ year-ago), with roughly half from 30-year datacenter leases. Microsoft and Amazon also significantly increased commitments. Combined total: nearly $2.4 trillion. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy compared the spending to AWS's early expansion, arguing it will eventually yield substantial returns. AWS Q2 revenue grew 37%, fastest since late 2021. (Bloomberg/IT之家)
② Big Tech FCF Erodes as AI Spending Race Intensifies — Amazon/Alphabet Turn Negative, Meta -91% — CNBC (July 31) reports post-Q2 earnings analysis: Amazon FCF turned to -$7.6B (trailing 12 months), Alphabet FCF negative for the first time on record, Meta FCF plunged 91% YoY. Tesla also reported negative cash flow. Elon Musk called memory pricing 'insane' and thanked Micron for 'very substantial allocation and reasonable terms.' Amazon CEO Andy Jassy cited memory chip 'inflated pricing' as a driver of higher capex guidance. Apple CEO Tim Cook warned of 'supply constraints' and potential iPhone price hikes due to memory shortages. Goldman Sachs forecasts $765B industry-wide AI spending in 2026, rising to ~$1.2T in 2027. JPMorgan strategist Dana Harlap noted the market is becoming 'more discriminating across hyperscalers as investors try to separate AI winners from losers.' (CNBC)
③ South Korea July Chip Exports Hit $41B (+179% YoY) — Second Straight Month Above $40B Amid KOSPI Record Swings — TechTimes (Aug 1) reports South Korea's July semiconductor exports reached $41.01B (+179% YoY), marking the second consecutive month above $40B — a threshold no major exporting nation has ever crossed for a single product category. Total July exports hit $98.9B (+62.8% YoY), the second-highest monthly total after June's record $102.25B. Samsung Q2 DS division posted record ₩89.2T ($61.8B) operating profit but its MX mobile division recorded its first quarterly loss since 2011 (₩0.7T). SK Hynix Q2 OP reached ₩60.54T ($41.9B, +557% YoY) but missed analyst consensus by 6.6%. KOSPI fell 22.19% in July (worst month since 1997 Asian Financial Crisis) before staging a record +17.91% single-day rebound on July 31. Meritz Securities analyst Kim Sunwoo estimates current memory supply meets only 75-80% of demand, potentially dropping to 60% by 2027. SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung stated demand will exceed total capacity beyond 2030. (Korea MOTIE/Samsung IR/SK Hynix IR via TechTimes)