By Johannes Neudecker and Annette Birschel, dpa.
Beijing (dpa) – China on Saturday blamed the Dutch government for worsening global chip supply disruptions involving semiconductor maker Nexperia, while hinting that urgently needed components could be exported.
“The unlawful intervention of the Dutch government in internal corporate affairs has led to the current chaos in global production and supply chains,” China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The dispute erupted after the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, a Dutch-based firm owned by China’s Wingtech Technology, citing mismanagement. In response, China halted exports of Nexperia products, including chips used in the automotive industry.
The delivery issues escalated on Friday, with Nexperia suspending shipments of semiconductor products called wafers to its assembly plant in China. The company confirmed that customers had been notified but declined to provide further details.
Wafers are thin discs that serve as the basis for the production of electronic components. They are used in semiconductors and microchips, which are integral to all electronics — from smartphones and computers to vehicles.
The Commerce Ministry on Saturday urged affected companies to contact the ministry, saying it would review their cases and permit exports for firms meeting the relevant requirements. No further details were provided on those criteria, or on whether the notice applied to foreign companies as well as Chinese ones.
Concern in automotive industry
The dispute raised fears of production stoppages, particularly in Europe’s car industry.
According to internal data from German car manufacturer Volkswagen (VW), Nexperia accounts for around 40% of the global supply of standard chips for the automotive industry.
VW’s chief financial officer, Arno Antlitz, recently said the company had no choice but to look for replacements “day by day and week by week.”
“The situation could lead to significant production restrictions in the near future, and possibly even production stoppages, if the supply interruption of Nexperia chips cannot be resolved in the short term,” said the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).
Hope for exports
Several media outlets reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the US government intended to announce that Nexperia’s subsidiary in China would resume chip deliveries.
The Wall Street Journal attributed the planned announcement to the recent talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this week. It said the two leaders reached a framework agreement.
During the talks, Beijing agreed to suspend its latest planned restrictions on the export of rare earths.
The United States in return said it would roll back a September 29 decision that placed trade restrictions on several majority-owned subsidiaries of blacklisted Chinese companies. Trump also agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese products linked to the fentanyl crisis.
If China were to allow the supply of Nexperia chips to the US again, the question would remain as to whether it would also make concessions for Europe.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said on Saturday that representatives from Brussels and senior officials from China’s Commerce Ministry had held “constructive talks.”
China confirmed that the suspension of exports controls on rare earths also applies to Europe, he wrote on X.
“Both sides reaffirmed commitment to continue engagement on improving the implementation of export control policies,” he added, without commenting specifically on Nexperia.
Source: dpa.com
