Dutch Minister Defends Nexperia Standoff, Calls it 'Wake-Up Call' for Europe

Dutch Intervention in Nexperia

The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Vincent Karremans, has publicly stated he has 'no regrets' regarding the recent six-week standoff with Beijing concerning the semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia. Karremans described the dispute as a 'wake-up call to Europe and the west' regarding their dependency on foreign technology.

The standoff began on September 30, 2025, when the Dutch government took supervisory control of Nexperia, a company headquartered in Nijmegen, Netherlands, but owned by China's Wingtech Technology. This unprecedented move invoked the rarely used Goods Availability Act, a Cold War-era law, to safeguard what the government deemed 'crucial technological knowledge and capabilities' on Dutch and European soil.

Concerns Over Technology Transfer and Governance

The intervention was prompted by concerns that Nexperia's Chinese owner, Wingtech, was attempting to relocate vital semiconductor operations and intellectual property from Europe to China. Intelligence suggested that Nexperia's CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, was 'secretly trying behind our backs to move the operation abroad, effectively emptying the company here,' according to Karremans. Allegations also included 'serious governance shortcomings' and the misuse of financial resources for the CEO's self-enrichment.

Nexperia, a former division of Philips Semiconductors, is a critical supplier of basic silicon components such as diodes, transistors, and MOSFETs, which are essential for a wide range of modern electronics, particularly in the automotive industry. The Dutch government's action aimed to prevent Europe from becoming '100% dependent on foreign countries for this kind of chip production and know-how.'

China's Retaliation and Global Impact

Beijing reacted swiftly to the Dutch intervention by imposing an export ban on finished products from Nexperia's Chinese operations. These Chinese facilities account for approximately 70% of Nexperia's end-product capacity. This retaliatory measure severely disrupted global supply chains, particularly impacting the automotive industry, with car manufacturers warning of production stoppages and factories in Mexico temporarily pausing assembly lines.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) expressed 'profound disappointment and strong dissatisfaction' with Karremans' remarks, urging the Netherlands to present constructive solutions and accusing the Dutch side of escalating an internal company dispute into a systemic risk for the global semiconductor supply chain.

Path Towards Resolution

The six-week standoff saw diplomatic engagement intensify, including telephone discussions between Karremans and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The crisis began to de-escalate around November 9, 2025, when Beijing lifted its export controls on Nexperia chips, a development that followed a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Despite the lifting of the export ban, the Dutch government has not yet reversed its control over Nexperia, stating it will monitor the resumption of chip supplies to ensure reliability. A senior Dutch official delegation is scheduled to travel to Beijing to continue diplomatic efforts and seek a mutually agreeable solution. Karremans hopes the incident will serve as a lasting lesson for Europe to secure its technological future and reduce critical dependencies.