Do you also feel that the topic Chip crisis Just don't want to disappear? Just as the situation in the Automotive and Tech Industry A little relaxed, comes the next bang. This time it's not just about coronavirus episodes, but for a firm Geopolitical dispute, which causes our supply chains to shake up again!
Why the chips are missing: A look behind the scenes
Do you remember the start of the chip crisis? The reasons were multifaceted:
- COVID-19 shock: When the pandemic began, automakers massively reduced their chip orders. At the same time, the demand for PCs, tablets and consoles exploded due to home office and homeschooling. The chip manufacturers have quickly switched their capacities to the tech industry.
- Car catch-up requirements: When the car production started up again, the manufacturers were suddenly behind.
- Special chips: The auto industry often needs Older, more robust semiconductors (so-called ‘bread-and-butter chips’ or discrete semiconductors) for ECUs, brakes or airbags. However, many manufacturers are focusing on more modern, lucrative chips.
- Unfortunate events: Fires in chip factories (as in Renesas in Japan) and other disturbances exacerbated the situation.
The squabbling apple Nexperia: A proxy war
The current vortex revolves around the Dutch chip manufacturer Nexperia, which belongs to the Chinese group Wingtech heard. And this is where it gets really political!
- The intervention from the Netherlands: At the end of September, the Dutch government Take control of Nexperia. The reason: She feared that Sensitive European key technology (and possibly production facilities, such as Wingtech's planned wafer production to Beijing) could be relocated to China. Background is the ever sharper Trade dispute between the US and China, The U.S. puts Chinese tech companies, including Wingtech, on sanctions lists. The Netherlands saw risks to its national security and technology.
- The stop of Nexperia: As a direct result of the government's intervention, Nexperia Export of precursors Owning a factory in China stopped.
- The Chinese response: Beijing reacted promptly and forbade the Export of completed Nexperia chips from their Chinese works to Europe. They accused the Netherlands of giving in to US pressure They even spoke of ‘economic banditry’.
Addendum: The Hope for Exceptions: In the midst of the escalation, however, there was a small glimmer of hope! The Chinese Government interpreted exceptions from the export ban. The Ministry of Commerce stated that companies with problems could turn to the authorities. Even though the criteria for this are still unclear, this is a first step. Positive signal of relaxation.
A YouTube video summarizes the situation in the conflict over Nexperia and the imminent consequences for the German car industry:
Chip crisis: The German auto industry threatens to stop production
What this means for us
The result of this exchange of blows? First of all Red alert level in the European car industry.
- Companies such as Volkswagen, Bosch and ZF are heavily dependent on Nexperia chips, especially these simple but indispensable discrete semiconductors.
- The result: Threatened production outages and Short-time work in European locations. A new, hard bottleneck is here.
It shows once again: In this global Trade war over microchips We are in the middle of Europe. We urgently need to build our own manufacturing capacity to become more independent, but this is an expensive and lengthy process. Until then, it reads: Thumbs crossed that the situation at Nexperia quickly relaxes.
Stay tuned to see how’s going!
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