{"title": "Semiconductor Supply Issues Force Honda to Halt Assembly Lines in Japan and China", "body": ["The ongoing semiconductor scarcity in the automotive sector continues to impact major manufacturers, including Honda. According to a Wednesday report from Bloomberg, the company plans to temporarily stop vehicle production at certain facilities in Japan during January 5 and 6, though specific sites were not disclosed. Meanwhile, the three Guangqi Honda Automobile factories in China are scheduled to cease operations from December 29 through January 2."], ["This production interruption traces back to a broader chip deficit triggered by international tensions in the Netherlands. In October, Dutch authorities, under influence from the Trump administration, took over the operations of Nexperia, a chip producer owned by Chinese interests and based in the country. Nexperia specializes in basic semiconductors used in vehicles, household devices, and various electronics."], ["Authorities in the Netherlands justified the takeover by pointing to significant deficiencies in Nexperia's management practices. They expressed worries that the firm's primary Chinese stakeholder, Wingtech, might transfer critical technologies away from the European continent. A subsequent New York Times investigation revealed that the Dutch officials had been aware of these intentions as early as 2019."], ["In response, China imposed a ban on exporting chips produced by Nexperia. The Dutch later paused their actions after engaging in productive discussions. Beijing subsequently eased some of its export barriers through special allowances, though the measures were not completely lifted. This fragile agreement has failed to restore stability to global supply networks."], ["Honda had originally expected assembly operations to resume fully by the end of November, but that projection has proven overly optimistic. An industry expert, Ambrose Conroy, who leads Seraph Consulting, commented to Reuters last November that automotive companies had not anticipated such political interferences and remain unprepared for them today."]}