Netherlands Offers to Relinquish Nexperia Control—But Only If China Restores Critical Chip Exports
Geopolitical chess gets a semiconductor twist as the Dutch make a high-stakes trade offer.
The Silicon Bargaining Chip
Amid a global chip shortage that’s squeezing industries from autos to crypto mining rigs, the Netherlands dangles its stake in Nexperia—a crown jewel of its tech sector—to coax China back to the export table. No guarantees, just old-fashioned brinkmanship with a 21st-century supply chain twist.
Chips Over Sovereignty?
Critics argue the move risks trading long-term strategic autonomy for short-term supply relief. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ shrugs one analyst—before muttering something about ‘quarterly earnings season.’ Meanwhile, crypto traders eye the news as a potential bullish signal for mining hardware stocks. Because of course they would.
The Fine Print
Neither side has disclosed timelines or volume commitments. Classic ‘trust us’ diplomacy—backed by nothing but pinky promises and the ghost of free trade past. Closing thought: If chips are the new oil, does that make ASML the new OPEC? Discuss.
Karremans signals chip supplies may resume soon
Vincent Karremans, the Dutch Economic Affairs Minister, issued a statement late Thursday that added more fuel to the speculation.
“Given the constructive nature of our talks with the Chinese authorities, the Netherlands trusts that the supply of chips from China to Europe and the rest of the world will reach Nexperia’s customers over the coming days,” he said.
The trouble began back in September, when Dutch officials took control of Nexperia over fears that Wingtech’s founder, Zhang Xuezheng, was misusing company cash to enrich himself and funnel funds to his other companies in China.
Those claims led to Zhang getting booted as CEO by a court in Amsterdam on October 7, after a petition from Nexperia’s management. Since then, Wingtech has denied every allegation and demanded that Zhang be brought back.
That court-backed intervention gave the Dutch government a one-year window to block or override any executive changes, strategic relocations, or internal decisions.
China didn’t take that lightly. In response, it slammed the brakes on Nexperia’s chip exports, creating a Ripple effect that’s now messing with Europe’s entire car supply chain.
By October 29, Nexperia was forced to alert clients that it had stopped sending wafers to its Chinese factory. That site alone used to process half of the company’s production volume before all hell broke loose.
Without that supply, automakers in the region are stuck relying on their dwindling chip reserves. Some are even bracing for full shutdowns if deliveries don’t restart immediately, warned the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Nexperia accuses China unit of sabotage
On October 13, Nexperia made it clear that it had lost all trust in its China-based factory, stating it could no longer guarantee the technology, intellectual property, or authenticity of the components being shipped from that plant.
The company said, “We cannot oversee if and when products from our facility in China will be delivered,” blaming a total breakdown in transparency and oversight.
Then came a stronger accusation. On Wednesday, Nexperia said its Chinese unit didn’t only refuse to pay for wafer deliveries, it also took actions that were completely out of line.
The company said its official corporate seals were misused without valid explanation and that fake letters were sent to customers, subcontractors, and suppliers, all without approval.
This isn’t being treated as a one-off, either. Nexperia called it part of a broader pattern of misconduct.
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