The U.S. imposed semiconductor export controls on China. Now a key EU nation is set to follow suit

"Given the technological developments and the geopolitical context, the authorities has travel to the decision that the existing export power model for circumstantial instrumentality utilized for the manufacture of semiconductors needs to beryllium expanded, successful the interests of nationalist and planetary security," the country's Foreign Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said successful a missive to parliament Wednesday.

Although the missive does not notation China, it comes aft unit from the White House, which successful 2022 imposed export controls that bounds Beijing from accessing definite semiconductor chips. At the time, American officials recognized that if different countries did not enforce akin restrictions, the export controls would suffer effectiveness implicit time.

Since 2018, the U.S. has reportedly been asking the Dutch authorities to halt ASML shipping its utmost ultraviolet lithography machines to China. ASML has not shipped the instrumentality to China truthful far.

In the aftermath of the Dutch government's announcement, ASML said successful a connection that, "it volition instrumentality clip for these controls to beryllium translated into authorities and instrumentality effect."

"Based connected today's announcement, our anticipation of the Dutch government's licensing policy, and the existent marketplace situation, we bash not expect these measures to person a worldly effect connected our fiscal outlook," the institution said Wednesday, adding that "the further export controls bash not pertain to each immersion lithography tools but lone to what is called 'most advanced'."

ASML said that it is not wide what the Dutch authorities means by the "most advanced" machines.

However, it said the regulations mean that it volition request to use for a licence to export its alleged immersion heavy ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine, which is utilized to manufacture representation chips. These chips are utilized successful a plethora of devices, from smartphones to laptops and servers, and could yet beryllium utilized for artificial quality applications. 

Last month, ASML said that a former worker successful China had misappropriated information related to its proprietary technology.

China has been moving to bolster its home semiconductor industry, but it remains acold down the likes of Taiwan, South Korea and the U.S.

The Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs said connected Thursday that it opposes the politicization of economical and commercialized practice and hopes that the Netherlands maintains an nonsubjective stance, according to Reuters.