China has granted exemptions to export controls on Nexperia chips for civilian applications, its commerce ministry said on Sunday, signalling a potential easing of pressure on the global auto industry hit by supply shortages following earlier curbs, Reuters reported.The announcement marks Beijing’s strongest indication yet that it will relax restrictions imposed after the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, a key supplier of basic chips used in automotive electrical systems.Nexperia, based in the Netherlands but owned by China’s Wingtech Technology, had been at the centre of a trade standoff that disrupted global chip supplies. The Chinese ministry did not define what constitutes “civilian use,” but the move comes after German and Japanese companies said deliveries of Nexperia’s China-made chips had resumed.Despite the exemptions, China–Netherlands relations, and by extension ties with the European Union, are expected to remain strained until the dispute over Nexperia’s ownership and operations is resolved.The Dutch government seized control of the company on September 30, citing concerns that Wingtech’s plans to shift production to China posed a threat to European economic security.In response, China halted exports of Nexperia’s finished chips, which are primarily packaged in China, but last week said it would start accepting applications for export exemptions following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30.China’s commerce ministry reiterated that it aims to protect global chip supply chains, while accusing the Netherlands of failing to act to resolve the standoff.In its statement Sunday, the ministry urged the European Union to “intensify efforts” to persuade the Netherlands to reverse its decision.“China welcomes the EU to continue leveraging its influence to urge the Netherlands to promptly rectify its erroneous actions,” the ministry said.