With Beijing signalling a restart of Nexperia’s chip exports to safeguard the global semiconductor industry, uncertainties continue to swirl around the resumption of deliveries from China, said a major German automobile supplier amid plans to reduce its production and slash working hours at individual locations.
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“Our task force is working intensively to secure our chip supply. The situation remains very tense across the industry,” a spokesman with German car-part supplier ZF Friedrichshafen told the Post on Wednesday.
“Due to the dynamic situation, we are preparing for short-time working at individual locations as a precautionary measure,” he said. “This will help us to minimise the impact of the chip shortage on our employees.
“It is unclear to what extent, and at what speed, deliveries from China could resume,” but the group has been in contact with relevant authorities in China, via the firm’s local branch, to obtain exemptions from the government’s export ban.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that it had “promptly approved” relevant export-licence applications from Chinese exporters and reiterated that it would be granting exemptions for eligible exports.
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The country is acting “in a responsible manner for the stability and security of the global semiconductor industry” and “striving to facilitate the resumption of supply from Nexperia China”, ministry spokesman He Yadong said during a press conference.
Other German companies along the supply chain, such as part-supplier Aumovio and leading carmaker Volkswagen, were also trying to find ways to mitigate the Nexperia chip shortage, the Post has learned.