China's Xi'an lockdown hits some of the world's largest chipmakers

New Delhi (CNN Business) Two of the world's biggest chipmakers are warning that Covid-19 outbreaks and stringent lockdowns in a major Chinese industrial hub are hampering their operations.

original epicenter. Samsung and Micron said this week that they've had to adjust operations in the northwestern city of Xi'an, which is experiencing one of China's worst community outbreaks of the coronavirus pandemic . Authorities have responded by enacting sweeping measures with an intensity and on a scale rarely seen since Wuhan, the pandemic'soriginal epicenter.

Any slowdown in output from the city risks worsening the global chip shortage , an ongoing crisis that has limited the supply of everything from iPhones to new cars.

"temporarily adjust operations" in Xi'an. The South Korean giant added that protecting its workers in the city remains its "top priority," and that it plans to take "all necessary measures, including leveraging our global manufacturing network, to ensure that our customers are not affected." Samsung said Wednesday that it had to"temporarily adjust operations" in Xi'an. The South Korean giant added that protecting its workers in the city remains its "toppriority," and thatit plans to take "all necessary measures, including leveraging our global manufacturing network, to ensure that our customers are not affected."

accounts for over 40% of Samsung's total global production of NAND memory chips, a product found in smartphones, tablets and hard drives. Samsung has invested more than $10 billion in Xi'an, and employs more than 3,300 people there. According to the Korea Economic Daily , output in the cityaccounts for over 40% of Samsung's total global production of NAND memory chips, a product found insmartphones, tablets and hard drives.