Dutch Minister Navigates China Trade Tensions | Amsterdam News

Dutch trade minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, once blacklisted by Beijing, makes a high-stakes return to China as part of the first ministerial delegation since 2018 — aiming to heal trade rifts, especially over microchips. His visit comes amid lingering tensions from last year’s state takeover of Nexperia, which triggered chip export bans and supply chain chaos for European automakers. Though the crisis has eased, legal battles continue. Sjoerdsma is also pushing back against U.S. legislation that could restrict ASML’s operations in China — a critical player in global chip manufacturing. On day one, both sides agreed to launch a new business council to revive trade, which hit $90 billion last year — though the minister warns Europe’s massive trade deficit with China is unsustainable. Meanwhile, other Dutch companies face scrutiny: a Chinese chip supplier was sanctioned for ties to Russian weapons, and a port scanner maker is under investigation for alleged state subsidies and espionage. Sjoerdsma balances these concerns with his push for economic ties, even as he voices ongoing worries about human rights in Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/297fd84d45ee4891