China Targets Texas Instruments in Chip Crackdown: 37-Day Countdown Begins

China has fired a new warning shot in the chip war. The Ministry of Commerce is now demanding that several U.S. semiconductor firms including Texas Instruments TXN and Analog Devices ADI hand over detailed data on their operations in China. The Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau this week published a series of questionnaires asking for specifics on sales, costs, customer lists, and supplier relationships. The requests come as part of Beijing's anti-dumping investigation into American-made analog chips, signaling what could be a more assertive response to Washington's export controls that have restricted China's access to high-end technology.

The analog chips under review may not be cutting-edge AI processors, but they sit at the heart of modern hardware from smartphones and electric vehicles to medical imaging systems. Companies have 37 days to respond, though the ministry has not specified which firms must comply. Analysts say the timing is notable: China launched two separate probes into U.S. chipmakers just last month, during ongoing trade discussions with Washington. The move could be read as Beijing flexing its ability to complicate supply chains in areas where American firms still dominate critical industrial inputs.

For investors, this deepening standoff adds another layer of geopolitical risk to the semiconductor cycle. While the U.S. has targeted China's access to advanced Nvidia hardware, Beijing's countermeasures appear aimed at the essentialbut less glamorousfoundation of global electronics manufacturing. If this probe escalates or leads to new barriers, U.S. chipmakers could face both regulatory and reputational pressure in their largest export market.