NEW YORK – The United States and the Netherlands plan to give Chinese chipmakers a one-two punch this summer by further restricting sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a continuation of the two countries’ efforts to prevent their technology from being used to build up China’s military. It is a part of our efforts.
While the Netherlands plans to limit the supply of certain equipment from national champion ASML and other companies, the United States has gone a step further and used its long reach to sell even more from certain Chinese factories. Expected to withhold a lot of Dutch equipment.
The Dutch government and ASML declined to comment, and the US Department of Commerce, which oversees export controls, also declined to comment.
USA in October Imposes export restrictions on shipments of American chip-making tools to China It tightened regulations from U.S. companies such as Lam Research and Applied Materials on national security grounds, and lobbied other countries along with its major suppliers to introduce similar regulations.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, condemned the move, saying the United States “deliberately blocked and held back Chinese companies, forced them to relocate their industries, and pushed for decoupling.” “We will closely monitor developments and resolutely defend our own interests,” he said.
Japan, home to chip-making equipment makers Nikon and Tokyo Electron, has since adopted rules restricting exports of 23 types of semiconductor-making equipment, effective July 23.
The Dutch government is set to announce new regulations on Friday, including licensing requirements for deep ultraviolet (DUV) semiconductor equipment, the top of ASML’s second best product line.
ASML’s most sophisticated machine, the extreme ultraviolet “EUV” lithography machine, has already been restricted and not shipped to China.
ASML said in March it expected Dutch regulations to affect its TWINSCAN NXT:2000i and more advanced models.
But the company’s older DUV models, such as the one called the TWINSCAN NXT:1980Di, may also be stored by the US from about six Chinese facilities.
The facilities will be identified under new U.S. rules that would allow the U.S. to limit the entry of foreign-made equipment into these facilities, including some U.S. components, according to people familiar with the matter.
The person was not authorized to speak publicly.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-dutch-set-to-hit-chinas-chipmakers-with-one-two-punch US and Holland set to deliver one-two punch to Chinese chip makers