China warns of fresh chip shortage as Nexperia dispute escalates again - Dutch headquarters allegedly locked Chinese staff out of IT systems

Source: Tom’s Hardware

China’s commerce ministry warned on Saturday of a renewed global semiconductor supply‑chain crisis after Nexperia’s Netherlands‑based headquarters disabled office IT accounts for all employees at its Chinese operations on the evening of March 3, according to a Reuters report. Beijing said the action “provoked new conflicts” in an already‑fractured corporate standoff and warned that the Netherlands would bear “full responsibility” if chip shortages spread globally.

Nexperia’s market position

Nexperia controls roughly 40 % of the global market for transistors and diodes. While it supplies the automotive sector, its discrete semiconductors are also used in consumer electronics, PC power supplies, motherboards, and chargers—essentially across a wide range of devices. A sustained supply disruption would therefore have consequences far beyond car production lines.

Dispute details

• Nexperia Netherlands did not deny disabling the Chinese staff accounts in a statement to Reuters.
• The company disputed claims that the action affected production at its assembly and testing facility in Guangdong province.
• China’s commerce ministry rejected the company’s explanation, stating that the Dutch entity had “seriously disrupted the company’s normal production and operation.”