US Halts ASML’s Final Shipments of Chipmaking Equipment to China Before Export Ban Deadline

The Dutch firm ASML, a leading manufacturer of chipmaking equipment, has reportedly faced pressure from the US government to halt some pre-scheduled shipments of its deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) machines to Chinese customers. This came after the revelation that Chinese semiconductor manufacturer SMIC used ASML technology to manufacture Huawei’s latest flagship processor, the 7nm HiSilicon Kirin 9000S.

ASML also manufactures extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines for making more advanced chips with node processes of 5nm or less, for companies like Apple and Qualcomm. While ASML was never allowed to sell EUV equipment to China, the Dutch government had granted licenses to the firm for shipping DUV machines to China until the end of 2023.

According to Bloomberg, the US government, specifically National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, contacted the Dutch government regarding some of ASML’s final shipments to China. As a result, “shipments of a limited number of machines” were affected.

China had been able to source lithography machines from other countries, but they tended to be less advanced methods. The US, Japan, and the Netherlands had also been working together to limit China’s access to such equipment. However, China had been making strides in its own silicon ecosystem, surprising the world with its homegrown 7nm mobile 5G chip. The US was reportedly desperate to halt ASML’s final DUV shipments to China, though doing so before the agreed deadline may be a questionable move.