European automakers already buffeted by US tariffs and a rocky shift toward electric vehicles now face a new threat: a shortage of key semiconductors supplied by Chinese-owned Nexperia.

Beijing is locked in a standoff with Dutch officials who invoked a Cold War-era law in September to effectively take over the company, whose factories are in Europe.

Carmakers as well as parts suppliers have already warned of shortages that would force stoppages at production lines across the Continent.

Who is Nexperia?

The company produces relatively simple technologies such as diodes, voltage regulators and transistors that are nonetheless crucial, as vehicles increasingly rely on electronics.

The chips are mainly found in cars but also in a wide range of industrial components as well as consumer and

See Full Page