The Digester

China warns of chip shortage as Nexperia account lockout escalates

Mar 9th 2026

Beijing says Nexperia Netherlands locked IT accounts for its Chinese operations from March 3, triggering a warning of renewed global chip shortages as the dispute escalates and both sides trade conflicting claims about production impact.

  • China's commerce ministry warned of a renewed global semiconductor supply risk after Nexperia Netherlands disabled IT accounts for its Chinese staff from the evening of March 3, Reuters reports.
  • Nexperia supplies about 40% of the global market for transistors and diodes, components used in cars and a wide range of consumer electronics.
  • Beijing said the move "provoked new conflicts" and warned the Netherlands would bear responsibility if shortages spread globally.
  • Nexperia Netherlands acknowledged disabling Chinese staff accounts but said the Guangdong assembly and testing facility was not affected, a claim China disputed as seriously disrupting production and operations.
  • A sustained disruption at Nexperia could ripple beyond automotive supply chains into PCs, chargers, motherboards and other consumer electronics.