US-China trade dispute over a little-known Dutch chipmaker could halt car production and send prices higher

Employees of Nexperia walk through the semiconductor manufacturer's clean rooms in Hamburg, Germany. David Hammersen/picture-alliance/dpa/AP

Few car buyers have heard of Nexperia. But this Dutch company makes chips that are essential for making cars — and now, it’s at the center of a trade dispute that could shutter global auto plants and send already-record-level car prices even higher.

The dispute is just one part of wider trade tensions between the United States and China. The Nexperia saga began in earnest this past December when the US Commerce Department put Nexperia’s parent company, China-based Wingtech Technologies, on a list of companies facing trade restrictions.

Then, this October, China’s Ministry of Commerce banned Nexperia China and its subcontractors from exporting spe