The Census Bureau this week alerted export filers about two new license codes in the Automated Export System for License Exception Notified Advanced Computing (NAC), the exception introduced last year by the Bureau of Industry and Security for certain exports of semiconductors that fall just below the agency’s most recently updated chip control parameters (see 2311200042 and 2401030053). Companies using the license exception and exporting certain chips must submit notifications to BIS with data about the chip, including its total processing performance, the name of the exporter and other parties to the transactions, and the volume and value of the shipment.
China’s Commerce Ministry urged the U.S. against placing new export controls on companies linked to Huawei after hearing the U.S. is reportedly considering adding them to the Commerce Department’s Entity List.
China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. “potentially” violated U.S. export control laws by producing 7 nanometer computing chips with American equipment it obtained before the Bureau of Industry and Security imposed updated export controls on chip-making tools last year, BIS Undersecretary Alan Estevez said.
The Commerce Department this week announced plans to provide about $20 billion in funding and loans to Intel under the Chips Act, which it said will “strengthen” the U.S. semiconductor supply chain by ensuring more leading-edge logic chips are made in America. Commerce said Intel expects to invest more than $100 billion over the next five years to set up new chip fabs and other facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon, and coupled with Chips Act funding, that “would mark one of the largest investments ever announced in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.”
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Although the EU is trying to reform its approach to export controls and other economic security issues, there still are loopholes in the bloc’s rules that allow technology to be illegally exported to China and elsewhere, EU policy experts said this week.
Michael Rithmire, former director of the Bureau of Industry and Security's Sensors and Aviation Division, joined semiconductor company Lam Research as its global trade director, he announced on LinkedIn last week. Rithmire most recently worked as a part-time consultant with Akin Gump after leaving BIS in September.
A trade association representing ASML, Applied Materials and other major semiconductor companies called on the EU to keep any new export controls narrowly targeted and abandon its plans for an outbound investment screening mechanism, saying new restrictions would be a “major interference” for the chip industry. It also cautioned European lawmakers about introducing new supply chain reporting obligations that would place too big a burden on industry.
The U.K. soon will update export controls on various military and dual-use technologies, which will align the country's rules with changes recently made by the multilateral Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime. The U.K. also will introduce new controls on "specific emerging technologies" that it has "committed to implement" alongside other "like-minded countries," the Department for Business and Trade said March 12.
Governments could eventually require companies to monitor their sensitive semiconductor equipment shipments by using location tracking features, which could help industry better conduct due diligence and improve government export enforcement, said Chris Miller, an expert on semiconductor technology policy and history.