China's Ministry of Commerce has indicated it is considering exempting certain shipments of chips from an export ban that was put in place following a diplomatic row with the Netherlands over the Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia. This potential relaxation of controls is a significant development, coming after European carmakers and parts suppliers warned of imminent production line stoppages due to critical chip shortages.The crisis began when the Dutch government invoked a Cold War-era law in late September to temporarily take control of Nexperia, which is headquartered in the Netherlands but owned by China's Wingtech Technology. The Dutch intervention was reportedly due to national security concerns over the potential loss of crucial tech
