China has launched an anti-dumping investigation into analogue integrated circuit (IC) chips imported from the United States, saying they have “lowered and suppressed” the prices of domestic alternatives.
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The probe, requested by a provincial semiconductor association, was announced on Saturday, a day after Washington introduced its latest tech curbs on Chinese companies – and a day before the two economic powers began their fourth round of trade talks in Spain on Sunday.
In this explainer, the Post examines what you need to know about the investigation.
What kind of chips and companies are affected?
The probe, which will last a year, targets general-purpose interface chips and gate driver chips built using process nodes of 40nm and above, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.
These so-called legacy chips, produced through mature manufacturing processes, are widely used in power management and data transmission for cost-sensitive applications with moderate performance requirements, such as smart home appliances and industrial motor drives.
Major US chipmakers expected to be affected include Texas Instruments (TI), ON Semiconductor, Analog Devices (ADI) and Broadcom.
How have US imports affected the Chinese market?
In its request, the Jiangsu Provincial Semiconductor Industry Association said prices for the US-origin products under investigation had “continuously and significantly declined” throughout 2024.
COMING SOON: China Future Tech Webinar | The US-China chip war
COMING SOON: China Future Tech Webinar | The US-China chip war