The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States is ready to impose the toughest sanctions on Chinese chipmakers, if necessary, reducing the room for maneuver for its allies. Bloomberg On Tuesday, citing informed sources, the US government intends to implement the export ban established last century if the Netherlands and Japan continue to supply Chinese chipmakers with essential equipment for semiconductor production, according to the report.
These are expensive lighting devices that require serious engineering knowledge to use, assemble and maintain, and are the most important elements in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment set. Currently, the Dutch ASML and the Japanese Tokyo Electron can mass-produce such equipment according to the needs of customers such as Intel, TSMC or Samsung Electronics.
Hey, this year's SYSADMINDAY is here!
This year, we will also organize a local Sysadminday in an outdoor venue. After busy months, this is a good opportunity to meet friends and colleagues.
According to newspaper reports, the US has now told its Japanese and Dutch partners that if they continue to supply their equipment to Chinese chipmakers affected by export restrictions despite the ban, the government is prepared to use the FDPR (Foreign Direct Product Rule) provision against them.
This legislation, enacted in 1959, states that the United States has the right to block the distribution of any product or technology if it is manufactured using and/or contains American technology—even if the manufacturer is not American.
The United States had not previously imposed any similar restrictions on suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, but early last year, after intense lobbying, it was able to persuade Japan and the Netherlands to implement some export bans against China.
Despite everything, 49% of ASML's sales in the second quarter came from China, a share virtually unchanged compared to the first quarter, according to the Dutch company's financial report published on Tuesday.
