[The Epoch Times, March 12, 2023](The Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) The Dutch government said on Wednesday that it is preparing to restrict the export of certain chip manufacturing machines to maintain national security. Bloomberg reported on March 10 that according to people familiar with the matter, the new restrictions in the Netherlands will affect the sales of three other models of ASML Holding NV lithography machines to China.
The export restrictions announced this week will prevent shipments of the TWINSCAN NXT:2000i, NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i models, which are immersion deep ultraviolet lithography machines, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is not public. .
An ASML spokesperson referred to a company statement earlier this week. ASML said on Wednesday that while it had no information on new export controls beyond the Dutch government’s public statements, it interpreted the government’s rhetoric that any machines involving “critical” technology from TWINSCAN NXT:2000i may be banned before List.
ASML has been banned from selling the company’s most cutting-edge technology, extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), to Chinese companies.
ASML’s lithography systems, which cost up to 160 million euros ($170 million) each, are used to create the circuits of computer chips.
A Dutch government spokesman declined to comment to Bloomberg.
The submersible machines, when used in conjunction with other technologies, can be used to produce advanced semiconductors that are used in everything from military hardware to smartphones.
In October last year, the Biden administration introduced the most stringent new export control regulations against the CCP in history. In addition to requiring certain chip equipment and technologies to obtain export licenses, it also restricted American citizens from entering China and other countries that may pose a threat to national security. /regional work, and there are regulations that limit technical support or sales of certain types of products.
The United States seeks to prevent China from using advanced chip technology and products to develop its military and surveillance capabilities, posing a threat to the Indo-Pacific and the rest of the world.
To make export controls effective, the United States has been actively lobbying the governments of the Netherlands and Japan to expand export restrictions on semiconductor equipment.
The U.S. has three major chip equipment makers: Applied Materials, KLA Corp. and Lam Research Corp., along with Japan’s Tokyo Electron Co. Ltd. and the Netherlands’ ASML Holding NV. Dominant in the global semiconductor industry. Without access to the best chip equipment from these companies, it is impossible to build factories capable of making the most advanced chips.
Among the multimillion-dollar machines crucial to making semiconductors, about 17 types of equipment currently require export licenses, which Chinese customers need to obtain if they want to buy them, Bloomberg News reported Friday. If restrictions imposed by the Netherlands and Japan are included, the number of devices required to export licenses would double, according to people familiar with the matter.
Responsible editor: Li Huanyu#