【By Observer Net, Chen Sijia】 Recently, the Dutch government has caused a major crisis by forcibly taking over China's Anwell Semiconductor, which is controlled by Chinese enterprises, leading to supply disruptions and causing a "earthquake" in the global automotive supply chain. According to a report by Nikkei Asia on October 29, due to the shortage of chips, Honda's factory in Mexico has been shut down, and it is unclear when production will resume.

Honda uses chips produced by Anwell Semiconductor in some car parts, but the Dutch government seized the management control of Anwell Semiconductor, leading to a shortage of chip supply. The Honda automobile factory in Celaya, central Mexico, has stopped operations as of the local time on the 28th, mainly producing the Honda HR-V model, with an annual output of about 200,000 units.

Honda told Nikkei Asia that the company is "doing everything possible to minimize the impact of the chip shortage," and motorcycle production at another factory in Mexico is not affected.

On the 27th, Honda also announced that due to the shortage of chips produced by Anwell Semiconductor, the company has begun adjusting its production in the United States and Canada. Honda did not disclose details such as the scale of production cuts or the expected duration, but analysts pointed out that North America is Honda's main production base, and if production slows down for a long time, it may affect the company's profitability for this fiscal year.

The North American market is an important market for Honda. In 2024, Honda sold about 1.61 million cars in North America, accounting for about 40% of its global sales. The Celaya factory involved in the shutdown produced more than 190,000 cars in 2024, far exceeding the 40,000 units sold in the Mexican market, and it is an important export hub for the US market.

On the 23rd, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association issued a statement saying that Japanese automotive parts manufacturers have received notice that Anwell Semiconductor may not be able to guarantee chip deliveries, which could severely impact global automotive production.

Honda's factory in Celaya, Mexico - Honda Company Website

Recently, the Dutch government cited a law that had never been used since 1952, suddenly ordering the Chinese semiconductor leader Wintek Corporation's subsidiary Anwell Semiconductor to refrain from making any adjustments involving assets, intellectual property, business, and personnel within one year from September 30, under the pretext of "national security."

The Dutch government began taking related actions on September 30, but only publicly disclosed them on October 12. The day before the Dutch government took action, on September 29, the U.S. government released an export control penetration rule, imposing equally strong export controls on Wintek's subsidiaries that hold more than 50% equity, which are listed on the "Entity List".

Documents published by the Dutch court on October 14 showed that the Netherlands and the United States had communicated and coordinated on the "penetration rules", with the U.S. requesting the Netherlands to replace the Chinese chief executive officer of Anwell Semiconductor and "adjust the governance structure" to avoid being subject to the "penetration rules" sanctions.

Afterward, media reports revealed that after the Dutch government intervened, the Dongguan factory of Anwell Semiconductor limited shipments after the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, planning to implement a "four days on, three days off" schedule. Wintek said that the Chinese region was "independent self-rescue", connecting the domestic supply chain. However, "Chinaizing" the supply chain is not easy, involving challenges such as technology transfer and customer certification. Anwell Semiconductor is applying for regulatory exemptions, but there is no clear answer on when supply will resume.

The Financial Times reported that Wintek stated that after the Dutch government seized its management control, hundreds of positions in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK were at risk. The Dutch government's actions led to the departure of key employees, causing many industrial operations to halt.

The Dutch government's actions have caused a "earthquake" in the global automotive supply chain, affecting automakers in the US, Europe, and Japan. According to a report by Bloomberg News, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) stated on the 29th that the shortage of chips supplied by Anwell Semiconductor has worsened, and European automakers may also shut down production in the near future.

Based in Brussels, Belgium, the ACEA includes major European automakers such as Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault. ACEA Secretary General Sigrid de Vries said, "The association members told us that the supply has already started to break down due to component shortages. This means that assembly lines may stop within a few days."

In addition, the German newspaper Handelsblatt previously cited a report by the supply chain risk analysis company Prewave, stating that all aerospace and defense companies in Europe use chips produced by Anwell Semiconductor in China. The report analyzed the supply chain relationships of 107 leading European companies across seven industries. The results showed that 86% of the companies procure chips from Anwell Semiconductor's production bases in China, meaning that "most of Europe's industry faces potential risks."

The Financial Times reported on the 28th that a Wintek spokesperson said that the Dutch government "seems to want a new Dutch domestic company to take over Anwell Semiconductor," but any Dutch company that takes over Anwell Semiconductor would "be doomed to fail," because "customers will not follow the new company."

Anwell Semiconductor currently produces semiconductor wafers in its factories in Germany and the UK, which are then sent to China for packaging and testing, with approximately 80% of the final products completed in China. A Wintek spokesperson said that if the Chinese business and European business are cut off, Anwell Semiconductor would lose most of its "back-end capacity," and "this capacity gap cannot be filled by Europe or other regions in the foreseeable future."

This article is an exclusive article from Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566661159437287987/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the 【like/dislike】 buttons below.