A deal between the U.S. and the Netherlands on new export controls for chipmaking equipment destined for China could come as soon as next month, Bloomberg reported Dec. 7. The U.S. has been working to convince the Dutch to impose similar semiconductor export controls and restrict the ability of Netherlands-based ASML to provide certain advanced equipment to China (see 2211210035). The report said it remains unclear what the potential U.S.-Dutch agreement would mean for ASML’s China sales. Bureau of Industry and Security Undersecretary Alan Estevez said Dec. 7 that he remains confident the U.S. will convince allies to impose harsher restrictions against China, and said he respects the Netherlands’ desire to shape its own export control policies (see 2212060059).
Chip Export News
The U.S. maintains export controls on chips, semiconductors, and related technology to China and Chinese companies such as Huawei. The following are recent ECD articles about chip export controls:
The U.S. and the EU announced new export control initiatives during the Trade and Technology Council’s meetings this week, including a pilot program to better exchange information on dual-use export controls and a new effort to increase research collaboration on quantum technologies. But the U.S. didn’t use the meetings to try to convince European officials to push its firms, such as ASML, to adopt more stringent chip export controls against China, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.
China’s announcement this summer that it made progress in its chip technology doesn't necessarily mean there was a failure in U.S. export control policy, said Bill Reinsch, a senior export administration official during the Bill Clinton administration. Reinsch said it’s unclear if China’s new chip even exists and where Beijing received the equipment to produce it.