>be Nexperia >founded in 2017 after spinning off from NXP Semiconductors >based in Netherlands, makes basic but crucial chips for cars and phones
>2021 >Chinese company Wingtech Technology quietly buys 100% of Nexperia >Netherlands shrugs at first, because “globalization good” >UK version of Nexperia (Newport Wafer Fab) also gets snapped up by same Chinese parent >everyone suddenly realizes strategic chips ≠ Lego bricks >UK gov forces Wingtech/Nexperia to sell Newport plant in 2023 on national security grounds >EU starts sweating about dependency
>2024–2025 >EU begins enforcement of new anti-coercion, foreign-subsidy, and security screening laws >Commission starts looking into Chinese state-linked tech acquisitions >finds out that Wingtech’s funding chain goes through Chinese government investment vehicles >Brussels not amused
>October 2025 >EU blocks exports and payment flows tied to some Chinese parent structures under new screening measures >Nexperia’s European entities trapped in compliance limbo >can’t legally ship chips to automakers because ownership and export license status unclear >factories still running but nothing leaves the warehouses >ACEA: “oh god we can’t build cars without these chips” >stockpiles will dry up in weeks >every automaker from VW to Stellantis starts panic emails
>EU governments debating whether to seize or nationalize Nexperia Europe operations >China threatens retaliation on rare earth exports >brussels_meeting.exe crashes
>tfw a corporate ownership change from four years ago now threatens to halt Europe’s car production
Source: https://www.acea.auto/press-release/acea-calls-for-quick-resolution-to-critical-chip-supply-shortage/
Better version with corrections:
>be Nexperia >spun out of NXP’s standard products business, brand launched 2017; headquartered in the Netherlands, makes mature-node discretes/logic/analog crucial for autos and phones
>2018–2019 >China’s Wingtech acquires Nexperia from a JAC-led consortium for roughly $3.6B, completing control by 2019, not “quietly in 2021”
>2021–2023 (UK) >Nexperia (owned by Wingtech) buys Newport Wafer Fab in 2021; UK later orders divestment on national security grounds under the NSI Act; sale process moves in 2023
>2022–2024 (EU policy backdrop) >EU rolls out and begins using anti‑coercion, foreign‑subsidy, and expanded screening tools; scrutiny grows of Chinese state-linked funding chains in tech M&A, including Wingtech ties
>October 2025 (the real trigger) >Netherlands invokes the Goods Availability Act and imposes emergency oversight of Nexperia; the Enterprise Chamber suspends the Wingtech-linked CEO and installs interim governance to secure supply and address governance deficiencies >China imposes export controls that restrict shipment of Nexperia-made parts and sub-assemblies from China, creating immediate supply friction; Nexperia and distributors pause some shipments to assess exposure and compliance >Automakers warn of near-term production risk; reports note potential impact within weeks if flows don’t resume
>what did not happen >No EU-wide blanket “export and payment block” in October 2025; disruptions stem from Dutch emergency control plus Chinese export restrictions and cascading compliance checks, not an EU payments embargo
>current debate >Talk centers on Dutch intervention and continuity of supply rather than immediate EU nationalization; rhetoric about Chinese retaliation (including rare earths) surfaces in commentary, but concrete October measures center on controls affecting Nexperia-linked exports, not a new rare‑earth embargo
>tfw a 2018–2019 ownership change and a 2021 UK fab deal set the stage, but 2025’s Dutch emergency action plus China’s export controls are what actually threaten Europe’s car production now
@unabomber
No problem is bad enough that the government can't make it worse.
@Zeb One thing I learned from this is that, no one government should accumulate trade surpluses, and/or trade deficits, so much that they can take modernity around the world into hostage. We need to do industrialization like we did agriculture: roughly equal output everywhere on earth. If industry can only be done a few places, then inevitably trade surpluses, and trade deficits will accumulate in certain preferred regions, and spill over into defaults, trade wars, and actual wars.