The Dutch government announced on Friday that it was expanding export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. ASMLmachine.
More types of chip-making tools will be subject to the requirements, and companies will have to apply for licenses from the Dutch government instead of the U.S. government to export their equipment abroad.
Like other countries, the Netherlands considers such restrictions to be an important national security requirement.
“We have taken this decision for security reasons. We are aware that technological advances pose increasing security risks linked to the export of this particular manufacturing equipment, particularly in the current geopolitical context,” Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Reinette Klever said in a statement.
ASML said in a separate statement on Friday that the government’s latest action represents a “technical change” and that it did not expect any impact on its 2024 financial outlook or “longer-term scenarios.”
The expansion of the restrictions comes after the Dutch government introduced its first large-scale export controls on exports of advanced semiconductor equipment last year.
ASML is one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies, headquartered in the Netherlands. The company makes the machines needed to manufacture cutting-edge chips.
The country’s latest move comes after the United States on Friday introduced new export controls on critical technologies, including quantum computing and semiconductor products.
In late 2022, the United States introduced sweeping rules aimed at blocking exports of key chips and semiconductor tools to China and called on allies to follow suit. Washington is pressuring countries such as the Netherlands to tighten export controls on key chipmaking tools. ASML’s key role in advanced chips has made the Netherlands a key focus for U.S. policymakers.
In its latest statement, the government did not name the specific countries that would be subject to the chip restrictions, instead saying the rules would apply to exports from the Netherlands outside the European Union.
“The Netherlands holds a unique leading position in this field. This comes with a certain responsibility, but we take it seriously. The Dutch semiconductor industry needs to know what to expect. We have proceeded in a careful and targeted way to minimise disruptions to global trade flows and value chains,” Kleber said.
More ASML tools need Dutch licenses
ASML manufactures two types of tools: extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines.
EUV lithography equipment is used by semiconductor manufacturers such as: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is expected to produce cutting-edge chips.
DUV lithography tools are also used to make other kinds of semiconductors, such as the memory chips found in everything from laptops to mobile phones.
Both machines came under Dutch government restrictions last year, and ASML said Friday’s expansion of the restrictions means that exports of its TWINSCAN NXT:1970i and 1980i DUV immersion lithography systems will now require Dutch government approval.
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