Wingtech Technology restarted its legal battle by appealing to the Dutch Supreme Court to regain control of Nexperia, but it never stopped, even after a brief political truce that allowed some chip components to move again.
The appeal targets a decision by the Amsterdam Chamber of Companies that acquired Wingtec’s Neexria shares and placed all but one share in the care of a court-appointed receiver. The same ruling also saw Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng removed from his role as chief executive officer of the Dutch semiconductor maker.
Wingtech also linked the legal process to an attempt by the Dutch government to seize special administrative powers over Nexperia, a move that was frozen last week but never completely revoked. The company says these measures worked together to resolve the issue.
Wingtech’s appeal focuses on the forced transfer of shares and the removal of Zhang Xuezheng as CEO.
The company said the court relied solely on statements from Nexperia’s management and the Ministry of Economy and blocked Wingtech from responding.
In its filing, Wingtech called this an “unusual and historic” violation of due process.
The company says it never had a legitimate opportunity to defend itself until the verdict was handed down.
The Dutch Ministry of Economy rejected that claim. A ministry spokesperson told Bloomberg in an email: “Neither the ministry nor the minister has initiated or influenced in any way the proceedings before the corporate tribunal.”
“The Dutch judiciary is completely independent,” the statement added. Wingtech still maintains that the government’s earlier move to secure special powers for Neexperia played a direct role in shaping events in court.
Even after there were signs of a political thaw, the legal battle remained tumultuous. On Thursday, Nijmegen-based Nexperia sent an open letter to the managers of its China division. The company announced that internal negotiations have broken down. It warned that deliveries to customers were still being disrupted due to weak coordination with the Chinese side.
wing tech answered In a reply, it said the letter contained false claims and ignored what appeared to be the real cause of the crisis, that the Dutch state had intervened.
National measures cause export restrictions and auto supply shock
The dispute became public in October after the Dutch state invoked its powers to block or overturn decisions in Neexperia. Officials said they were concerned that WingTech was leaking high-end equipment and sensitive technology out of Europe.
The Chinese government responded a few days later by imposing export restrictions on parts made at Nexperia’s Guangdong factory, which once produced about half of the company’s total output.
Its impact also spread to the global automobile sector. Nexperia supplies power control and logic chips used in engine systems, battery units, and brake control. Supply has been hit, with automakers including Honda and Volkswagen slowing or temporarily halting lines due to parts shortages.
Talks continued for several weeks. Officials from China, the Netherlands, Germany, the European Union and the United States participated in the negotiations. After that, a temporary truce took shape. The Chinese government has agreed to ease export restrictions. This change eased the worst of the supply crunch. Deeper conflicts over ownership and control were not.
Wingtech’s application to the Supreme Court also targets Economy Minister Vincent Calemans. The appeal points to a letter sent by the ministry’s lawyers to the Chamber of Enterprises on October 1. The letter corroborated an 81-page request from Nexperia management as soon as it was submitted.
Wingtech says the speed of this sequence looks like a coordinated push. The company has also suggested that the ministry had seen the documents earlier, which contradicts Kallemans’ public statements.
Wingtech is currently asking the government to withdraw its support for suspending Zhang Xuezheng as CEO. The ministry responded to the request with its own explanation. The company said it supported the Oct. 1 petition by Nexperia board members because Zhang’s actions require urgent court action to protect the company’s stability.
The ministry added: “As the Chamber of Enterprises itself confirmed in its judgment, the CEO’s actions, supported by shareholders, put the company at risk, so it was natural for the state to express its support.”
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