Allowing controlled chip shipments for civilian applications, China granted Nexperia exemptions from its export restrictions.
China has granted exemptions to its export controls on Nexperia chips intended for civilian applications, the commerce ministry said on Sunday, offering relief to carmakers and automotive suppliers facing component shortages.
The move marks Beijing’s clearest signal yet that it intends to ease the strain on the global auto industry caused by export restrictions imposed after the Dutch government seized control of Nexperia, a major producer of essential automotive chips. Nexperia is headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by Chinese parent Wingtech.
While the ministry did not specify the exact civilian uses covered under the exemption, the announcement follows reports from German and Japanese manufacturers that shipments of Nexperia’s China-made chips have resumed.
Tensions, however, remain elevated between China and the Netherlands and by extension the European Union amid an unresolved dispute over Nexperia’s ownership. The Dutch government assumed control of the company on September 30, claiming Wingtech planned to shift European production to China in a way that threatened EU economic security.
China retaliated by halting exports of the firm’s packaged chips but said last week it would begin accepting applications for exemptions after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30.
In its latest statement, China urged the EU to push the Netherlands to reverse its takeover of Nexperia, saying the bloc should “intensify efforts” to encourage a resolution and restore stability to global chip supply chains.
