The turmoil began on Sept. 30, when the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy invoked the 1952 Goods Availability Act—a Cold War-era emergency law designed for crises like war or natural disasters—to issue a secret order freezing Nexperia’s global operations. The ministry claimed “serious governance flaws” at the firm but provided no concrete evidence to support the allegation.
Just days later, on Oct. 4, China’s Ministry of Commerce responded with targeted export controls, banning Nexperia China (the firm’s main production hub) and its subcontractors from shipping specific made-in-China semiconductors and components overseas. The move directly targeted Nexperia’s supply chain, as its Chinese facilities account for over 70% of global output .
On Oct. 7, the Amsterdam Commercial Court dealt another blow, suspending Zhang Xuezheng—Nexperia’s Chinese CEO—and transferring most voting rights to an independent administrator, effectively stripping Wingtech of decision-making power. The Dutch government formalized its takeover on Oct. 12, confirming it would oversee Nexperia’s operations indefinitely.
In a latest development on Oct. 18, Nexperia China issued a statement announcing plans to “operate independently” to mitigate disruptions, though it provided no details on how it would bypass the Dutch freeze or Chinese export curbs.