Taiwan's Wednesday headlines: cooking oil scandal, TSMC orders, and rising global bond yields

Aug 18, 2026

Taiwan's news day is dominated by a food safety scandal and a warning sign in global bond markets — bad news for consumers and borrowers alike, mixed news for the island's chip sector.

  • Prosecutors charged four companies and 15 people, including the chairman of Central Union Oil, over contaminated cooking oil, and say the cover-up ran for three years.
  • Long-term government bond yields jumped in the U.S., Japan, and Europe as inflation sticks around, rate hikes look more likely, and governments keep spending beyond their means.
  • TSMC is seeing a surge in orders for its advanced chip packaging, with Intel lending support — a strong signal for AI chip demand.
  • Taiwan's stock market opened lower and the U.S. dollar slipped against the local currency.
  • A military satellite launch vehicle destroyed itself after a test went wrong, and a tropical storm may form near Guam with an unclear path toward Taiwan.

Outlook: Rising bond yields abroad and a softer opening at home suggest more pressure on Taiwan's markets, while the oil case heads toward a high-profile trial.

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