Nijmegen based Nexperia sues Chinese parent company Wingtech for more than $2 billion
Nexperia has launched legal action against its Chinese parent company, Wingtech Technology, demanding more than $2 billion in compensation, according to Wingtech. The chipmaker, which is based in Nijmegen, was at the center of a diplomatic dispute between the Netherlands and China last year. Wingtech disclosed the lawsuit on Tuesday.
The legal action further intensifies the growing rift between Nexperia's Chinese operations and its international management. Wingtech reported that the case was brought before an Amsterdam court and names the company, its founder and former CEO Zhang Xuezheng, and two Chinese entities as defendants.
The company is claiming compensation, alleging that Wingtech violated internal agreements by setting up a separate supply chain that put it in direct competition with Nexperia.
The latest proceedings are part of a wider legal battle between the two sides. Wingtech filed its own lawsuit in China in May against three Dutch Nexperia entities and three executives, seeking 8 billion yuan, approximately $1.2 billion, in damages. It accused them of implementing discriminatory restrictions against its Chinese operations and demanded the restoration of its control over the chipmaker.
In August, a Chinese court ordered the freezing of assets worth up to 2.14 billion yuan, approximately $300 million, held by Nexperia and its equipment subsidiary. Nexperia said the measures do not affect its day-to-day operations or business continuity. It also stressed that the underlying case had not yet been heard on its merits.
The current dispute stems from intervention by the Dutch Enterprise Chamber, a specialist division of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal that deals with corporate governance disputes.
The dispute escalated in October 2025, when the Amsterdam Court of Appeal's Enterprise Chamber suspended Nexperia's then-CEO Zhang Xuezheng and transferred almost all voting rights attached to Wingtech's shares to an independent administrator.
In February, the court ordered an investigation into the company's management, saying there were valid reasons to doubt its business practices. The measures remain in place, leaving Wingtech as the shareholder but without control over most of its voting rights.
The dispute previously threatened international supply chains after China temporarily restricted exports of Nexperia chips packaged at its facility in Dongguan. The move caused supply shortages for carmakers that rely on the company's components. Shipments later resumed following discussions between the Dutch and Chinese governments, although the divisions within Nexperia have not been resolved.
Nexperia manufactures essential semiconductors used in a wide range of electronic products. Its components are used in cars, mobile phones, consumer electronics, and industrial equipment.
Nexperia says it has more than 12,500 employees worldwide and ships over 110 billion products annually.