By Rachel More
BERLIN (Reuters) -Dutch chipmaker Nexperia cannot say when deliveries from its site in Dongguan, China, will resume or guarantee quality of shipments, according to a letter to customers,
as it looks into whether China will ease export controls weighing on global supply chains.
"We are in the process of further clarifying the scope and implications of the China action regarding Nexperia's facilities and subcontractors in China as soon as possible," according to the letter, which was dated November 3 and was seen by Reuters.
The letter highlights ongoing uncertainty over when and how supplies of Nexperia's much-needed chips will resume, even though China has said it would consider exemptions to ensure that some deliveries can continue.
The Dutch government last month seized control of Nexperia, which is owned by China's Wingtech but based in the Netherlands, citing fears the company's owner would move operations to China, where most of Nexperia's chips are packaged.
Nexperia said that until it regained "oversight over the supply chain" at its Dongguan site it could not "oversee if and when products" from there would be delivered, the letter added.
Nexperia said that the letter, which has not been previously reported, should be understood as a formal force majeure notification in addition to a previous force majeure notification dated October 22.
Nexperia also said it could not guarantee the quality and authenticity of chips delivered from the Dongguan site "with a week code of 42 and after", referring to the calendar week starting October 13.
Nexperia was not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Rachel More; additional reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Christoph Steitz and Ludwig Burger)
