Samsung Electronics has sounded the alarm over a “serious imbalance” in the semiconductor industry, the latest warning that a chip shortage disrupting carmakers threatens to spill over into the broader technology sector.

The signal from the Seoul-based group — the world’s biggest computer chip manufacturer and a linchpin in the global tech supply chain — came as governments and companies expressed concerns that shortfalls in the semiconductor market might slow the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

“There’s a serious imbalance in supply and demand of chips in the IT sector globally?.?.?.?It is hard to say the shortage issue has been solved 100 per cent,” Koh Dong-jin, co-chief executive who heads Samsung’s mobile business unit, said at a shareholder meeting on Wednesday.