China retaliates in response to Dutch seizure of Nexperia, blocking chipmaker's exports following takeover — 861,000 square foot assembly site in Gaungdong affected as trade war spirals

China has blocked the export of certain products produced by the Dutch chip company, Nexperia, according to Bloomberg. This is the same company that the Dutch government recently seized from its Chinese parent company to prevent the transfer of what it called "crucial technological knowledge" from leaving the country. This action appears to be retaliatory and highlights the increasingly multi-polar world that is developing under the umbrella of rapid global expansion in AI capabilities, and a rush to secure important strategic chip development resources.

Chinese trade relations with Western nations have been far more fractious in 2025 than in years past. Following increasingly aggressive global trade policies, China has pivoted from integrating with the wider global economy to focusing more on shoring up its own semiconductor development and nearer-to-hand trading partners. Many Western nations have mirrored this in turn, with the Dutch government's latest actions appearing to be just one more example of nations ensuring their own supply of silicon above almost all else.

This new paradigm is born from the old one, though, and until the time when economies are truly uncoupled, there is always room for retaliation. Just as the Dutch government severed China's ability to make decisions about the future of Nexperia and its technologies, China can inhibit production and export from Nexperia facilities located within its borders, which it has now done. Nexperia has said it is seeking an exception, but considering the broader political and strategic forces at play, that seems unlikely without other counterbalancing actions being taken.

Nexperia has multiple facilities around the world, including manufacturing, assembly, and testing facilities in Germany and the UK, but it also maintains an 80,000 square-meter assembly site in Guangdong province, China. It's that location that will be halted from exporting any products in the near future.

All of this serves as a tertiary backdrop for the heavily anticipated trade negotiations between President Trump and the Chinese Premier, Xi Jinping, which are slated to take place later this month. Although there have been posturing and statements that suggest they may not take place, most of the announcements of trade adjustments and blockades are seen as attempts to strengthen negotiating positions ahead of the talks.

Alongside the Dutch government seizing Nexperia, CEO Zhang Xuezheng (who founded parent company, Wingtech) has been ousted. Nexperia Chief Financial Officer, Stefan Tilger, is now acting as interim CEO, with court-appointed Dutch businessman Guido Dierick as non-executive director.

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