The Dutch government has paused its direct intervention in chipmaker Nexperia after talks with China.
The move is expected to ease a dispute that has disrupted supplies of semiconductors used by vehicle manufacturers.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs has suspended the use of the Goods Availability Act at Nexperia, a measure it activated last month to safeguard the continuity of production.
The law had barred the company from moving parts of its business, dismissing executives or taking significant strategic decisions without prior government approval for a period of one year.
The emergency step followed a provisional ruling by the Dutch Enterprise Chamber after a hearing on 7 October, which raised questions about the conduct of Nexperia’s leadership under then CEO Zhang Xuezheng.
Zhang was suspended and remains out of his role.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataOn 4 October, China blocked exports of Nexperia’s finished products, a restriction it has now eased.
The suspension of the Goods Availability Act follows what were described as constructive discussions with China.
Nexperia stated that the latest moves mark a step forward, but added that restoring the full supply chain will require further cooperation from its Chinese units.
Despite the Dutch government stepping back from direct control, the Enterprise Chamber’s measures stay in place.
Voting rights attached to the shares in Nexperia, which are indirectly owned by parent company Wingtech Technology, remain under the control of an independent administrator appointed by the court and cannot be exercised by Wingtech.
The company’s leadership structure set up during the dispute continues unchanged.
Chief financial officer Stefan Tilger remains interim CEO, while Achim Kempe continues as chief operating officer.
Chief legal officer Ruben Lichtenberg will carry on as statutory director of Nexperia Holding and Nexperia, alongside Guido Dierick, who was appointed as non-executive director.
Nexperia said it will keep offering alternative supply chain arrangements to lessen disruption and support continuity of deliveries “as much as possible”.
These options include supplying and shipping wafers directly to customers.
Nexperia said: “We are committed to delivering wafers into the supply chain and continue to offer alternative supply chain solutions to mitigate disruption and maintain continuity of delivery as much as possible. This includes, for example, selling and shipping wafers to Nexperia customers directly.
“Dedicated teams are working continuously to identify and implement viable paths forward. We are committed to maintaining these workaround solutions for as long as necessary and until a normal supply chain with a full turnkey flow can be restored.”
All other Nexperia locations, including those in Europe and the rest of Asia, are said to be operating as usual.
The company is also working on phased capacity expansion at other sites, planned to take place through 2026.
In the background, tensions between Nexperia’s global management and its Chinese operations persist.
The company said its entities in China are no longer functioning within the agreed corporate governance framework and are not following lawful instructions from group leadership.
It cited non-payment of amounts due, misuse of company seals, the opening of unauthorised bank accounts and the issue of communications to stakeholders that it described as unauthorised and false.
