The Dutch government has returned control of semiconductor firm Nexperia to its Chinese owners, just weeks after seizing the company under emergency powers amid fears over EU technological security.
Economy Minister Vincent Karremans said the decision followed “constructive” discussions with Beijing, which has since taken steps to ensure steady chip supplies to Europe after initially retaliating with export restrictions that disrupted European car manufacturing.
The Netherlands had invoked a Cold War-era law to nationalise Nexperia, citing governance concerns and warning that vital chipmaking capabilities risked being shifted outside the EU. The move deepened already fraught EU-China trade tensions and prompted accusations of protectionism from Beijing.
Karremans announced on X that supervisory control would be suspended “as a show of goodwill,” but stressed that negotiations between the two governments would continue.
Reports have since suggested the original takeover was carried out under significant pressure from the United States, which has been pushing European allies to curb China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology.
