Automakers hunt high and low for chips as supply crisis worsens

By Aditi Shah, Daniel Leussink and Rachel More TOKYO/BERLIN (Reuters) -Global automakers are scrambling to find chips and checking with suppliers to see if they have enough stockpiled, as a deepening semiconductor supply crunch related to Dutch firm Nexperia threatens car production across the industry. Beijing banned exports of Nexperia's products from China after the Dutch government seized control of the chipmaker last month, citing concerns about the transfer of technology to its Chinese parent, Wingtech, which has been flagged by the United States as a possible national security risk. Nissan Motor and Mercedes-Benz are among the carmakers trying to come to grips an uncertain supply situation, with Nissan saying it had enough chips until the first week of November – just a few days awa