Nexperia claims Newport Wafer may close if sale goes ahead

Newport Wafer Fab may become commercially unviable if UK government insists on its sale under national security legislation, according to current owner Nexperia, which is challenging the decision in court. Britain’s largest remaining semiconductor fabrication plant has become a pawn in the wider battle over Chinese access to …

[VoiceOfTruth]

The poodle

The UK poodle government should just buy it at the same price + 10% for all the hassle. Then shut it down. That is what America wants. So why not just do it?

[An_Old_Dog]

Why, and How, and Why?

Newport would be left with only a single remaining client: Why would Newport's current clients leave them if ownership substantially changed hands?

The UK government announced in November that it was ordering Nexperia to sell off at least 86 percent of its interest of Newport Wafer Fab: How does the government imagine that British ownership of 86% of Newport's stock will stop unwanted transfer of technology to the Chinese?

Nexperia ... pointed out the acquisition had cleared two previous security reviews.: If the acquisition truly had passed two previous security reviews, why is the government screaming about it *now*? Is this some government bureaucratic turf-battle, where no one person can say, "Yes" to the deal, but hundreds each can say, "No."?

[localzuk]

Re: Why, and How, and Why?

To answer the last question, it is likely due to the rampant Sinophobia gripping the US and UK lately. It has been increasing consistently for some time.

So, when the original security reviews were done, the Chinese were still in our good books. Since then, we've moved away from each other, and the UK govt is making lots of noise about it.

[VoiceOfTruth]

Re: Why, and How, and Why?

The UK government takes its orders from Washington. Good boy, here is a bone.

[Spazturtle]

>Newport Wafer Fab currently manufactures chips using a 200nm production process that is far from the cutting-edge 5nm technology used to make the latest processor chips. Updating it to newer tech would require significant investment from any new owner, one analyst previously told us.

Why do you keep parroting these 'analysts' who clearly don't know what they are talking about. NWF make power chips. Nobody is making MOSFETs or GaN FETs at 5nm.

[Tron]

Not a national security risk.

McCarthyism 2.0 - the Americans telling the UK to behave like a proper vassal state and shut it down rather than let the Chinese run it.

Still, think of the money we can save. If we don't have any chip plants, we won't need a chip strategy.

The Chinese own British Steel don't they? I guess that will be next for the Washington chop.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not a national security risk.

Can't possibly be any more of a nat sec risk than selling off every other national infrastructure asset to foreign interests