The merger of Taiwan-based testing and packaging service providers ASE Group (Advanced Semiconductor Engineering) and SPIL (Siliconware Precision Industries) is approved by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) of the United States, reported United Daily News on May 17. These two companies established a new holding company called Holdco in June last year, under which both are able to retain their legal entities and operation models. Though approved by the Fair Trade Commission in Taiwan and the United States, the ASE-SPIL deal is currently under review by the Ministry of Commerce of China. Furthermore, the alliance received the approval from US' antitrust authority because both companies do not own any factory in the States and their consolidated market share in the country’s testing and packaging industry remains relatively small.