Automakers are bracing for fresh potential chip disruption, with China’s retaliatory export controls on an obscure Dutch supplier threatening to set off a chain reaction that could halt production lines.
Manufacturers in Europe are holding urgent meetings to fend off potential outages that could come within a month, according to people familiar with the matter.
The industry has upped inventories after the COVID-19 pandemic sparked previous chip shortages. But carmakers like Volkswagen and suppliers including Robert Bosch may take months to switch from Nexperia — the Dutch producer affected — to alternative sources, the people said, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.
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