China to lift some restrictions on Nexperia chip exports
China announced on Saturday that it will exempt certain Nexperia chips from its export ban, easing restrictions that were imposed amid a dispute with Dutch officials and growing concern among European businesses.
Anxiety over potential chip shortages began in late September when the Netherlands invoked a Cold War–era law to effectively take control of Nexperia, whose parent company Wingtech is backed by the Chinese government, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In retaliation, China banned the re-export of Nexperia chips to Europe and accused the United States of interfering in Dutch legal proceedings aimed at removing Nexperia’s Chinese CEO.
Beijing on Saturday blamed “the Dutch government’s improper intervention in the internal affairs of enterprises” for what it described as “the current chaos in the global supply chain.”
“We will comprehensively consider the actual situation of enterprises and grant exemptions to exports that meet the criteria,” a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the partial resumption of Nexperia shipments was included in a trade deal agreed between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump following talks in South Korea on Thursday.
The issue was also on the agenda for discussions between Chinese and European Union officials in Brussels, EU spokesperson Olof Gill confirmed.
Nexperia, which produces essential yet relatively simple components such as diodes, voltage regulators, and transistors, plays a crucial role in the electronics supply chain. These chips are used in automobiles, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics, including smartphones and household appliances.
The company manufactures most of its chips in Europe, ships them to China for finishing, and then re-exports them to European clients.
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