Overview
- EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic has engaged Chinese and Dutch counterparts this week and will take up the issue with Chinese officials in Brussels on Thursday.
- Europe’s auto lobby ACEA said parts supplies are already being stopped and warned assembly lines could halt within days due to missing Nexperia components.
- The Netherlands assumed control of Nexperia on Sept. 30 under a 1952 law, and a Dutch court suspended CEO Zhang Xuezheng on Oct. 1.
- Reuters sources say the ousted chief moved chip designs and machine settings from Manchester to China and planned deep European cuts, including a Munich R&D closure and 40% layoffs.
- China’s commerce ministry blocked exports of Nexperia products on Oct. 4; with roughly 70% of the firm’s chips packaged in China, its China unit has resumed domestic sales and asserted operational independence.