China’s LED chipmaker San’an Optoelectronics has abandoned its $239 million plan to acquire Dutch firm Lumileds after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) determined the deal posed “unresolvable national security risks.” Following multiple rounds of review, both parties withdrew the application on April 17, 2026.
The deal, announced in 2025 with Malaysian partner Inari Amertron, aimed to acquire Lumileds’ global operations, including production facilities in Singapore and Malaysia, to support San’an’s overseas expansion and strengthen its ability to serve international customers. Lumileds specializes in high-end LED products used in automotive lighting, camera flashes, and specialty applications.
The failed acquisition marks another setback for Chinese tech firms’ overseas investments amid increasing regulatory scrutiny, following the dispute involving Nexperia. It is also the second time CFIUS has blocked a Chinese-related bid for Lumileds, after rejecting a similar acquisition in 2016 over concerns about control of dual-use semiconductor technologies.
Source: Epoch Times, April 18, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/4/17/n14743885.htm