Nokia prepara su salida de China

Nokia, the Finnish telecommunications equipment manufacturer, is preparing to exit China, according to sources cited by South China Morning Post. The company announced the reduction of its operations in the Asian giant during an internal video conference this month, with the plan consisting of maintaining only the post-sale services as it carries out a gradual exit from the market, according to the report.

Nokia currently employs around 7,200 people in the region, including those in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. However, the initiative in question pertains to the first of those territories. Both the mobile networks and network infrastructure divisions of Nokia China are expected to face rounds of layoffs by the end of the current fiscal year. Light Reading had previously reported the closure of the company's research and development center in Hangzhou, which would result in the loss of 1,600 jobs.

Nokia confirmed this news and stated that it was taking steps to better align its operations in China with its global operating mode. The company acknowledged that its businesses in China have been steadily declining in recent years due to the preference given by government agencies and state-owned enterprises to domestic technologies and equipment over foreign manufacturers like Nokia. Private clients in the country have also seen a reduction in Nokia's market share.

Between 2019 and 2025, Nokia's revenue in China dropped from €1.840 billion to €913 million, and its market share over total income fell from 7.9% to 4.6%. Nokia entered China in 1985 and was instrumental in building the national network in the 1990s. It also became one of the most popular mobile phone brands in the country, even becoming its most important market in 2010 when its revenue peaked at €7.620 billion.

However, Nokia has lost ground since the construction of the fifth-generation (5G) network, facing emerging local rivals such as Huawei and ZTE.