EU launches investigation into suspected monopoly of Qualcomm's acquisition of NXP Semiconductors

According to foreign media reports, the EU antitrust authorities intervened in the investigation of Qualcomm's proposed acquisition of NXP Semiconductors last Friday (June 9, 2017). According to Reuters, the EU antitrust authorities are worried that after Qualcomm acquires NXP Semiconductors, the company will squeeze out competitors from the market.

If Qualcomm successfully acquires NXP Semiconductors, the company's strength in the field of Near Field Communication will be greatly enhanced, which has caused great concern to the EU antitrust authorities. In addition, if the merger is successfully completed, Qualcomm will obtain NXP Semiconductors' intellectual property rights in the field of Near Field Communication, which may have anticompetitive effects, such as further enhancing user loyalty to Qualcomm or squeezing out competitors from the market.

Another major concern of the EU antitrust authorities comes from vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology. Currently, the agency has reservations about Qualcomm's acquisition. V2X has great market prospects in the future, and the completion of this acquisition may weaken the competitiveness of companies in the automotive semiconductor market.

Qualcomm plans to acquire NXP Semiconductors for $38 billion. This merger will be the largest merger in the semiconductor industry to date. It is not clear what impact the European antitrust authorities will have on the merger, and the EU antitrust authorities may delay the implementation of the merger.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.