US pushes Netherlands, Japan to further restrict chipmaking equipment to
China
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[June 19, 2024] By
Karen Freifeld
(Reuters) -A U.S. official was heading to Japan after meeting with the
Dutch government to try to push allies to further restrict China's
ability to produce cutting-edge semiconductors, a person familiar with
the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
Alan Estevez, the U.S. export policy chief, was trying to build on a
2023 agreement between the three countries to keep chipmaking equipment
from China that could help to modernize its military.
In a response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China
was opposed to the U.S. engaging in confrontation and "coercing other
countries and suppressing China's semiconductor industry".
"This behavior has seriously hindered the development of the global
semiconductor industry and will eventually backfire," Lin told a press
briefing in Beijing.
A spokesperson for the Dutch foreign ministry confirmed a meeting had
taken place in the Netherlands on Monday.
Japan's industry ministry said it has various exchanges with the United
States but would not comment on diplomatic interactions.
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The U.S. first imposed restrictions in 2022 on shipments of advanced
chips and chipmaking equipment to China from companies including
California-based Nvidia and Lam Research.
Last July, to align with U.S. policy, Japan, home to chip equipment
makers Nikon Corp and Tokyo Electron, curbed exports of 23 types of
equipment, from machines that deposit films on silicon wafers to devices
that etch out the microscopic circuits.
Then the Dutch government began to regulate Netherlands-based ASML's
deep ultra violet (DUV) semiconductor equipment to China and the U.S.
imposed restrictions on additional DUV machines to a handful of Chinese
factories, claiming jurisdiction because ASML's systems contain U.S.
parts and components. ASML is the world's biggest chip equipment maker
by sales and market capitalization.
Washington is talking to allies about adding 11 more Chinese chipmaking
factories to a restricted list, the person said. There are currently
five factories on the list, the person said, including SMIC, China's
largest chipmaker.
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A central processing unit (CPU) semiconductor chip is displayed
among flags of China and U.S., in this illustration picture taken
February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
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The U.S. also says it wants to control additional chipmaking
equipment, the person said, asking not to be named because they were
not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Commerce Department declined comment.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry said Monday's meeting was part of ongoing
talks on export policy and security between the U.S. and the
Netherlands.
The Netherlands "always has continual contact with our allies," the
spokesperson said.
U.S. officials also visited the Netherlands in April to try to stop
ASML from servicing certain equipment in China. Under U.S. rules,
U.S. firms are barred from servicing equipment at advanced Chinese
factories.
But the ASML servicing contracts are still in place, the person
said, adding the Dutch government does not have the extraterritorial
scope to cut them off.
ASML said in April it expected to be able to service most of the
billions of euros worth of equipment it has sold to China, though it
cannot use spare parts from the U.S. that would fall under U.S.
restrictions. It did not have immediate comment on Wednesday.
Sanctioned Chinese telecoms giant Huawei last year came out with a
phone powered by a sophisticated chip. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro was
seen as a symbol of the China's technological resurgence despite
Washington's efforts.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld, Toby Sterling, Sam Nussey, Bernard
Orr; Editing by David Gregorio, Miral Fahmy and Barbara Lewis)
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