China-linked Wingtech has lost its court fight to take back control of Nexperia, the Dutch semiconductor company caught in a long and messy power struggle.
The Amsterdam appeals court rejected Wingtech’s request and kept earlier emergency measures in place, extfinishing a crisis that has already disrupted chip flows to parts of Europe’s car indusattempt.
The judges confirmed that Nexperia’s Chinese chief executive, Zhang Xuezheng, will stay suspfinished. Control remains with EU-based directors while a formal investigation launchs.
In a press release, the court stated it “finds that there are valid reasons to doubt the sound policy and conduct of business at Nexperia and orders an investigation.” The decision means outside investigators will now review how Nexperia has been run.
Court upholds suspension and orders six-month probe into Nexperia
The Dutch government stepped in last September and temporarily seized control of Nexperia, which is based in Nijmegen.
Officials stated Zhang’s actions created a threat to Europe’s security of supply. His shares were transferred to a trust. He kept the economic benefits but lost voting control.
On Wednesday, the Enterprise Chamber stated it found “indications of negligent conduct involving a conflict of interest.”
The court stated there were signs that a director, facing possible sanctions, modifyd the company’s strategy without consulting other board members.
It stated agreements with the Minisattempt of Economic Affairs were not followed, the authority of European officials was reduced, and their resignations were announced. The court will appoint two investigators who will work for about six months. The investigation will also review the conduct of the Dutch management of Nexperia, which was one of Wingtech’s main requests.
Since the intervention, the European and Chinese parts of Nexperia have stopped working toreceiveher. That breakdown cautilized chip shortages that affected the car sector.
The Hamburg plant halted shipments of silicon wafers to China for final assembly, stating it was not being paid. Customers responded by acquireing wafers from the European side and sfinishing them to China themselves for assembly to bypass the internal conflict.
Lawyers trade accusations as US sanctions tighten pressure
During a January hearing, lawyers for Nexperia alleged that Zhang was transferring equipment to China and utilizing company assets to support Wing Systems, another business he owns. They argued that Wingtech was “doing everything it can to destabilise” the company.
They also claimed it had “pressured virtually all of Nexperia’s business partners not to do business with it” and had urged the Chinese government to impose export restrictions that would harm Nexperia, referencing the Dutch economy minister’s defense statement.
Zhang denied those claims in court, declareing European executives mismanaged the company. He stated that he strengthened production in China to build a resilient supply chain against geopolitical shocks.
The dispute also intersects with US trade policy. In late 2024, the United States placed Wingtech on its “entity” list.
That required US companies to obtain licenses before trading with it. In September, the US Commerce Department stated the restrictions would extfinish to Nexperia as a subsidiary.
Court documents revealed that US officials warned the Dutch government that reshifting Zhang was necessary to avoid the listing.
After the ruling, Nexperia stated its underlying business remains healthy and resilient and that it is focutilized on stabilising its supply chain and meeting customer demand worldwide.
Wingtech stated it regretted the decision but remained confident that a full and impartial inquiry would reveal its actions were appropriate.
It added that the ruling prolongs significant uncertainty for a business already under strain since October 2025 and stated it had not been presented with evidence justifying what it described as extraordinary measures.
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