This photograph shows a general view of Nexperia headquarters in Nijmegen on November 6, 2025.
John Thys | Afp | Getty Images
The Dutch government on Wednesday said it suspended its intervention at Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, following constructive talks with Chinese authorities.
“We see this as a show of goodwill,” Dutch Economy Minister Vincent Karremans said in a statement, posted on social media platform X.
In a separate letter to parliament, Karremans said it had become clear Beijing now appeared to be permitting companies from European and other countries to export Nexperia chips, adding that “this is an important step.”
The development appears to bring an end to a bitter dispute between the Netherlands and China, one that had prompted global automotive groups to raise the alarm over a worsening chip shortage.
The Dutch economic affairs ministry said the country considered it to be “the right moment to take a constructive step” by suspending the order under the so-called Goods Availability Act. It added that it would continue to hold talks with Chinese authorities over the coming weeks.
CNBC has reached out to Nexperia, which is based in the Netherlands but owned by the Chinese company Wingtech, and the Chinese embassy in the U.K. for comment.
The situation involving Nexperia began in September, when the Dutch government invoked a Cold War-era law to effectively take control of the company. The highly unusual move was reportedly made after the U.S. raised security concerns.
In making the decision, the Dutch government cited fears that technology from the company — which specializes in the high-volume production of chips used in automotive, consumer electronics and other industries — “would become unavailable in an emergency.”
China responded by blocking exports of the firm’s finished products.
Shares of Europe’s auto giants were trading mixed on Wednesday morning. Milan-listed Stellantis, the parent of Jeep, RAM, Dodge and Chrysler, rose 0.7% on the news.
Germany’s Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz Group and BMW, meanwhile, were all trading marginally lower at 9:48 a.m. London time (4:48 a.m. ET).
— CNBC’s Michael Wayland contributed to this report.