Dutch chipmaker Nexperia just escalated its corporate crisis to unprecedented levels, publishing an open letter begging its Chinese subsidiary to restore supply chains as global automakers face "imminent production outages." The desperate public plea marks a new low in the geopolitical semiconductor dispute that's been paralyzing the automotive industry since September.
The semiconductor industry just witnessed something extraordinary - a company publicly pleading with its own subsidiary to restore operations. Nexperia's Dutch headquarters issued an open letter Thursday calling on its Chinese operations to help end the supply chain chaos that's been throttling global automotive production for months.
"Customers across industries are still reporting imminent production stoppages. This situation cannot persist," the Dutch unit warned. The letter came after what they described as "repeated attempts to establish direct communication through conventional channels" that yielded no meaningful response.
The crisis has real teeth. Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are all scrambling to secure chip supplies, with Germany's automotive association warning of "elevated risks to supply, particularly for the first quarter" of 2026. Japanese automaker Nissan has already been forced to cut output at its Kyushu plant.
Wingtech Technology, Nexperia's Chinese parent company, fired back Friday with accusations that the Dutch unit's letter contained "misleading and untrue allegations." The company's response reveals the depth of this corporate warfare: "We believe their true intention is to buy time for Nexperia B.V. to construct a 'de-China-ized' supply chain and permanently strip Wingtech of its shareholder rights."
This isn't just corporate drama - it's a geopolitical chess match playing out in real time. The chaos began in September when the Dutch government invoked a Cold War-era law to effectively seize control of Nexperia after the U.S. raised security concerns. Beijing responded by blocking Nexperia products from leaving China, creating the supply chain nightmare now hitting automakers worldwide.
Nexperia sits at the heart of the global electronics ecosystem. The company manufactures billions of foundation chips - transistors, diodes, and power management components - that might seem boring but are absolutely critical. These chips control everything from car battery connections to airbag systems to electric windows. They're produced in Europe, assembled and tested in China, then re-exported globally.
