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ASML has received an order from the Dutch government to restrict shipments of some chip manufacturing equipment to China, the company announced on Monday.
The restrictions come as the United States tightens its own regulations on the types of semiconductors that American companies can sell to China and pressures its allies to set their own regulations.
ASML is a semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturer based in Veldhofen, Germany. The Netherlands said in a statement that “the license to ship NXT:2050i and NXT:2100i lithography systems in 2023 has recently been partially revoked by the Dutch government,” adding that the decision “impacts a small number of customers in China. ” he said. ”
ASML is known for its excellence in manufacturing lithography machines that use light to print patterns on silicon. This step is crucial in the mass production of microchips that power everything from phones to washing machines.
Because of ASML’s market dominance, experts have cited it as a harbinger of a widening rift between China and the West over access to advanced technology.
The Dutch government has been under pressure from the United States for years to restrict chip-related exports to China.
The Biden administration announced new rules in October that expand on a broad set of export controls first introduced in 2022. “Due to the length and complexity of the regulations, ASML will need to carefully evaluate the content of the regulations,” ASML said when the regulations were updated. Potential impact. ”
ASML CEO Peter Wennink said in an October earnings call that the updated export restrictions would affect 10-15% of the company’s sales to China.
The company said in a statement on Monday that after discussions with the U.S. government, it had “obtained further clarification regarding the scope and impact of U.S. export control regulations.”
However, ASML added, “We do not expect the current export license revocation or updated U.S. export control regulations to have a material impact on our 2023 financial outlook.”