The Netherlands has suspended its seizure of the Chinese-owned chipmaker at the heart of a six-week dispute between the EU and China that threatened to halt car production at sites around the world. The Dutch minister of economic affairs, Vincent Karremans, said in a statement on Wednesday that the government would suspend its decision to take supervisory control of Nexperia as a gesture of “goodwill” to Beijing. “In light of recent developments, I consider it the right moment to take a constructive step by suspending my order under the Goods…
Tag: Netherlands
China voices ‘extreme disappointment’ with Dutch minister at centre of car chip row
Vincent Karremans called semiconductor supply chain crisis a ‘wake-up call for western leaders’ The Chinese government has expressed “extreme disappointment” with the Dutch minister at the heart of a row over chip supply to the car industry. A spokesperson for the ministry of commerce was responding to a Guardian interview with Vincent Karremans on Thursday in which the politician described the standoff between China and the European Union as a “wake-up call” for western leaders. Continue reading… The Guardian
‘It’s a wake-up call’: Dutch row with Chinese chipmaker that threatened global car industry
A bitter battle over the future of a Chinese-owned chipmaker in the Netherlands that threatened to cripple the global car industry is a “wake-up call to Europe and the west”, the minister at the heart of the row has warned. The six-week standoff between the EU and Beijing over Nexperia and its vital supplies of automotive semiconductors has served up a sobering lesson to world leaders over their dependency on China, says Vincent Karremans. The Dutch economy minister says he has no regrets about the tussle and would not change…
China poised to lift ban on chips exports to European carmakers after US deal
The vital flow of chips from China to the car industry in Europe looks poised to resume as part of the deal struck last week between Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The Netherlands has signalled that its standoff with Beijing is close to a resolution amid signs China’s ban on exports of the key car industry components is easing. The dispute began when the Dutch government took control of the chipmaker Nexperia at the end of September after the US raised security concerns about the company’s Chinese…
China accuses Dutch of prolonging chip war that threatens to halt car factories
Carmakers around the world are facing fresh uncertainty about their ability to continue production after China accused the Netherlands of failing to cooperate on resolving a dispute over the seizure of the chipmaker Nexperia. The Dutch government took control of the EU-based automotive chipmaker at the end of September because of concerns about the company’s Chinese parent, Wingtech Technology. In response, China halted exports of Nexperia products, restricting access to the vital components used in everything from airbags to central locking. Carmakers including Volkswagen, Honda and Nissan have warned tthe…
Volvo and VW say Dutch takeover of Chinese chipmaker could halt car factories
Car companies across Europe and Japan including Volvo, Honda and Nissan, have warned that the Dutch takeover of a Chinese-owned chip manufacturer could hit production at factories. Last week’s decision by the Netherlands government to take control of Nexperia has sent shock waves around the auto industry, which is already facing potential shortages in products such as magnets amid China’s latest restrictions on rare earths exports. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, whose members include Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Mazda, said on Thursday it had received a warning from Nexperia that…
US raised concerns about Chinese boss of chipmaker before Dutch takeover
US authorities had raised concerns about the boss of a China-owned chipmaker before it was taken over by the Dutch government this week, according to court papers. The documents show US officials warned the Netherlands in June that Nexperia may not be able to export to the US if its Chinese chief executive, Zhang Xuezheng, remained in post. Late on Sunday the Dutch government said it had invoked a cold war-era law to effectively take control of the company, citing “major shortcomings that could jeopardise security of supply” of chips…
The Many Challenges Facing Apple
For more than a decade, Apple could do almost no wrong. The iPhone made it the world’s most valuable company. The App Store helped launch businesses such as Uber and Airbnb. And the company’s new products made it a player in health, Hollywood and finance. Now, the difficulties are piling up. The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday for giving its own products advantages that it deprived rivals of having. The suit is the latest in a series of actions brought against the company by regulators…
ASML halts hi-tech chip-making exports to China reportedly after US request
A Dutch manufacturer has cancelled shipments of hi-tech microchip machinery to China after pressure from the US government, it has been reported. ASML, which is a key firm in the global semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, was due to export three chip-making machines to China but had its export licences revoked by the Dutch government before they were shipped. The company is one of the only manufacturers of extreme ultraviolet lithography systems (EUVs), which use lasers to help create the circuits for chips. The advanced technology is used by leading chip…
The Multimillion-Dollar Machines at the Center of the U.S.-China Rivalry
They are smooth white boxes, roughly the size of large cargo vans, and they are now at the heart of the U.S.-Chinese technology conflict. As the United States tries to slow China’s progress toward technological advances that could help its military, the complex lithography machines that print intricate circuitry on computer chips have become a key choke point. The machines are central to China’s efforts to develop its own chip-making industry, but China does not yet have the technology to make them, at least in their most advanced forms. This…