Photo: ANP
The restrictions on Dutch chip machine maker ASML may get tougher. Sources reported this to Bloomberg news agency. It was already known that as of September, ASML could only supply certain machines to China. But the sources said that deliveries to some Chinese factories may now be halted by the United States.
For example, this might involve trading with a factory owned by Semiconductor Manufacturing International, a leading chip maker in China. In these cases, permission for export must be approved by both the Netherlands and the United States. In addition to the permit obligation to export some ASML machines, there will also be the obligation to obtain a permit to maintain the machines, hundreds of which are still located in China. According to the sources, there will also be an examination for the export of spare parts.
The United States can also put its stamp on those restrictions. For example, sources expect the US government to invoke the Foreign Direct Producer Rule (FDPR measure). This allows the United States to block exports from foreign suppliers if they contain even a small number of American-made parts. The US government previously adopted an FPDR measure to prevent chip companies from sharing US technologies with Chinese telecom company Huawei.
The export restriction of ASML came under pressure from the US government. Last October, it announced that it would limit the export of its chip technology to China for fear that the chips could be used for military purposes. Exports have been restricted by ASML for some time. The latest EUV machines were not allowed to be exported to China a few years ago.
