Taiwan has suspended its plan to impose semiconductor export restrictions on South Africa just two days after announcing the measure, according to reports from Bloomberg News. The quick reversal follows a request from Pretoria to enter negotiations over the ongoing diplomatic dispute.
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The dramatic, yet brief, imposition of controls—which would have required pre-approval for exports of 47 products, including integrated circuits—marked the first time Taiwan had attempted to use its dominance in the chip industry as a direct tool in a diplomatic disagreement. The decision to suspend the curbs highlights Taipei’s unease about the potential impact on global supply chains and its major chipmakers, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
The original export restrictions, announced on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, were a direct countermeasure to actions by the South African government that Taiwan accused of “undermined our national and public security.”
The dispute centres on South Africa’s repeated efforts, allegedly under pressure from Beijing, to downgrade and rename Taiwan’s representative offices in the country. Since at least 2023, Pretoria has been pushing to move Taiwan’s main office from the administrative capital, Pretoria, to the commercial hub, Johannesburg, and rename it as merely a “commercial office.” China views the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a renegade province and pressures its allies to limit any diplomatic ties.
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Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed that the suspension was enacted because the South African government requested consultations on the status of the office. While the curbs were largely symbolic, affecting only a fraction of Taiwan’s total chip exports to South Africa, they caused immediate concern among South African business and political leaders, who warned the move could have severely damaged sectors like automotive manufacturing and information technology.
By suspending the controls, Taiwan has preserved the threat of its economic leverage while opening the door for dialogue with Pretoria.
