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Chip relief: China allows exports of Nexperia chips for civilian use; move to ease global auto supply strain – The Times of India

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Chip relief: China allows exports of Nexperia chips for civilian use; move to ease global auto supply strain – The Times of India


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.





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Nike shares fall 9% on weak outlook, expected 20% sales decline in China

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Nike shares fall 9% on weak outlook, expected 20% sales decline in China


A Nike logo is displayed at a Nike store in Austin, Texas, Feb. 5, 2026.

Brandon Bell | Getty Images

Shares of Nike fell in extended trading Tuesday after the retailer warned sales will fall for the rest of the calendar year, led by an expected 20% decline in its key China market during the current quarter.

Chief Financial Officer Matt Friend said during the company’s earnings call that Nike expects sales for its current fiscal fourth quarter to drop between 2% and 4%, compared with Wall Street estimates of a 1.9% increase, according to LSEG.

For the duration of the calendar year, Friend said, the company expects sales to fall by a low single-digit percentage, led by growth in North America and offset by declines in China. That outlook wasn’t comparable to estimates.

Nike beat expectations across the business on both the top and bottom lines for its fiscal third quarter, but its guidance left investors with more questions about how long its turnaround will take. Friend also cautioned that Nike’s guidance was based off of where the global economic picture stands today — and it could change given recent geopolitical volatility.

“We also recognize that the environment around us has become increasingly dynamic, and we could experience unplanned volatility due to the disruption in the Middle East, rising oil prices and other factors that could impact either input costs or consumer behavior,” said Friend. “We are focused on what we can control.”

Shares fell more than 8% in extended trading.

Here’s how the world’s largest sneaker company did for its fiscal third quarter, compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG:

  • Earnings per share: 35 cents vs. 28 cents expected
  • Revenue: $11.28 billion vs. $11.24 billion expected

The company’s reported net income for the three-month period that ended Feb. 28 was $520 million, or 35 cents per share. That’s a 35% decline from $794 million, or 54 cents per share, a year earlier. That plunge came as Nike’s gross profit margin slid 1.3 percentage points to 40.2%, “primarily due to higher tariffs in North America,” the company said.

Sales were flat at $11.28 billion, compared to $11.27 billion last year.

While Nike beat expectations on the top and bottom lines, it posted a mixed picture regionally. Nike’s largest market of North America continued to show steady growth, as revenue climbed 3% to $5.03 billion, but that was just shy of Wall Street’s expectations of $5.04 billion, according to StreetAccount.

Meanwhile, Nike’s Greater China market continued to shrink, with revenue down 7% to $1.62 billion during the quarter. Still, that total beat analyst estimates of $1.50 billion, according to StreetAccount.

Nike is continuing to work through a colossal turnaround under CEO Elliott Hill. About a year and a half into his tenure, Hill has made strides in repairing parts of the business, but has been clear that it’ll take time for the entire company to improve given the retailer’s scale and complexity. 

He reiterated that expectation on Tuesday, saying in a news release that “the pace of progress is different across the portfolio.”

“The areas we prioritized first continue to drive momentum,” Hill said. “The work is not finished, but the direction is clear, our teams are moving with focus and urgency, and our foundation is getting even stronger to build the future of NIKE.”

Friend said Nike’s turnaround efforts “will continue to impact results over the balance of the calendar year.”

Nike’s recovery was already coming at a tough time as a global trade war dented its efforts to improve profitability and drive sales from inflation-weary shoppers. But now the athletic company will have to contend with a new war in the Middle East that’s already led to rising gas prices and is expected to send consumer prices even higher, which could push shoppers to cut back on nice-to-haves like new clothes and shoes to save money elsewhere. 

“We continue to be encouraged by the momentum in North America. We’ve got a strong order book for summer,” Friend said. “We’re seeing positive signs and sell through. We’re not seeing a consumer reaction to what’s going on in the Middle East at this point in time, in North America.”

Hill has focused in part on revitalizing Nike’s business with wholesale partners as opposed to direct sales on its website and in stores. Wholesale revenue climbed 5% to $6.5 billion.

Meanwhile, direct sales slid 4% to $4.5 billion.

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Tech giant Oracle makes ‘significant’ job cuts

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Tech giant Oracle makes ‘significant’ job cuts



It is thought that thousands of people may have lost their jobs at Oracle, one of the world’s largest tech companies.



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Oil nears highest price since start of Iran war

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Oil nears highest price since start of Iran war



The US-Israel Iran war has halted almost all traffic in a key waterway and the price Brent crude has surged.



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