Dutch government has seized operational control of Nexperia—the Chinese-owned chipmaker—citing “serious governance shortcomings” and an apparent fear that Europe might run out of car chips during rush hour.
The Hague didn’t just knock on Nexperia’s door—they walked in, politely adjusted the thermostat, and declared, “We’ll be running things now, thanks.” All in the name of safeguarding Europe’s supply of semiconductors, those tiny silicon heroes that keep your GPS from sending you into a canal.
Under the rarely used Goods Availability Act (which sounds like it belongs in a dystopian board game), Economic Affairs Minister Vincent Karremans can now veto any Nexperia decision that might jeopardize Europe’s ability to keep its Teslas humming and toasters toasting. It’s like grounding a teenager—but for multinational corporations.
The Dutch ministry claims the move was “highly exceptional,” which is government-speak for “we’ve never done this before, but panic made us creative.” They didn’t specify what exactly constituted “serious governance shortcomings,” leaving room for wild speculation: Was it the lack of team-building retreats? A rogue espresso machine in the server room? The mystery deepens.
Meanwhile, Nexperia’s parent company, Wingtech, saw its Shanghai-listed shares drop 10% faster than a dropped smartphone on tile. Wingtech insists it’s playing by all the rules—including export controls, sanctions, and presumably the unspoken rule about not wearing socks with sandals in board meetings.
Wingtech’s chairman, Zhang Xuezheng, was recently suspended from Nexperia’s boards by an Amsterdam court. One can only imagine the courtroom drama: “Your Honor, he forgot to CC legal on the memo about existential risk!”
This isn’t Nexperia’s first tango with geopolitical tension. The UK already forced it to sell its Newport chip plant over national security concerns. Now it’s down to one UK facility in Stockport—presumably under 24/7 surveillance by a very polite British drone that says “sorry” before scanning your lunchbox.
The Dutch government swears production will continue “as normal,” which is reassuring—unless your definition of “normal” includes government minders reviewing your procurement requests for solder paste.
Wingtech says it’s in talks with lawyers, because nothing says “business as usual” like drafting legal briefs while your chips keep Europe’s dishwashers alive.
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