China's BYD scraps IPO plan for semiconductor unit

HONG KONG (Reuters) -Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd said on Tuesday it had scrapped plans to list its semiconductor unit in China, saying a move to increase investments in wafer production would significantly affect the unit's asset structure.

"BYD Semiconductor intends to seize the time window to make large-scale investment in wafer production capacity," BYD said in a filing to the Shenzhen stock exchange, adding current wafer supplies were far from enough to meet demand amid rapid growth in electric vehicle manufacturing.

Scrapping the planned initial public offering (IPO) will not have a material adverse impact on the company's existing operations or the future development strategies of the group, the automaker added.

BYD, backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, said it would restart the unit's listing process when the investment and production capacity expansion had been completed.

According to the IPO prospectus, the chip unit aimed to raise 2 billion yuan ($281 million) to fund projects and replenish capital on the Nasdaq-like ChiNext Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

The IPO plan was first halted by the exchange in August 2021, as a firm advising on the IPO process faced a regulatory probe.

(Reporting by Twinnie Siu and Zoey Zhang; Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)

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