Bonn, October 30, 2025 — The German authority has indicated it will not object to a proposal by the country’s automotive association (VDA) to establish a short-term information exchange platform for remaining semiconductor inventories amid an emerging supply shortage.
The planned information exchange aims to help manufacturers and suppliers across Europe offer and request leftover semiconductor stocks, particularly in light of the tightening supply of chips from Nexperia, which are widely used in vehicle components.
Bundeskartellamt President Andreas Mundt said the initiative could “help improve the distribution of goods in the emerging shortage situation and postpone production restrictions as far as possible,” benefiting both the industry and end consumers. He added that, given the project’s structure, the authority had “no serious competition law concerns.”
While participating companies are competitors in semiconductor procurement, the VDA’s design includes several safeguards to prevent anticompetitive effects. Offers will be posted anonymously and without price indications, expressions of interest will be forwarded bilaterally, and any subsequent negotiations will take place outside the platform.
The exchange will be operated by a neutral body and is limited to a six-month term, ensuring that it remains a short-term measure tied to the current supply situation.
