Dutch company ASML manufactures one of the most important machines needed to manufacture the world’s most advanced chips. The US chip restrictions have left companies including ASML scrambling to figure out what the rules actually mean.
Emmanuel Dunant | AFP | Getty Images
ASML, which manufactures machinery essential to the production of cutting-edge semiconductors, has been banned by the Dutch government from exporting some tools to China, the company said.
ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, said in a statement on Monday that its 2023 shipping permit for the NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i lithography systems “has recently been partially revoked by the Dutch government.” Ta.
ASML stock was down about 1% in morning trading.
ASML sells lithography equipment, which is a critical part of the chip manufacturing process. One type of machine they sell is called an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, which is used to make the cutting-edge chips that go into Apple iPhones.
For several years, ASML has been prohibited from exporting this machine to China. To date, the company has yet to ship a single EUV device to China.
The second type of tool the company sells is called an immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine, which is used to make less sophisticated chips. The NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i, which are subject to the Dutch government’s latest export regulations, are DUV lithography equipment.
The revocation of the ship’s license comes after the U.S. government tightened restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductors and chip-making tools to China in October, building on previous rules.
In a statement, ASML said that in recent discussions with the U.S. government, it “gained further clarity on the scope and impact” of the export controls, which were updated in October. These limitations “impose limitations on certain medium-critical DUV immersion lithography systems for a limited number of advanced production facilities.”
Under pressure from the United States, the Dutch government introduced its own restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductor equipment in June.
A spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
ASML said it does not expect the cancellation of U.S. export licenses to have a “material impact on its 2023 financial outlook.”
ASML previously said it expected fourth-quarter net sales to be between 6.7 billion euros ($7.4 billion) and 7.1 billion euros.