Dutch “won’t copy” US export controls, says trade secretary

The Dutch government won’t cave under US pressure to tighten export controls to China, Foreign Trade Secretary Liesje Schreinemacher told NRC (link in Dutch). “The Netherlands won’t copy the American measures one-to-one,” she told the newspaper, adding that the Netherlands will likely introduce restrictions based on its own assessments.

Although it’s the first time a Dutch official speaks out on the matter, it’s no secret that the US has been pushing the Netherlands and other Western countries to restrict the export of semiconductor technology to China. Schreinemacher confirmed that the Dutch government has been in “intense” talks on the topic. Japan, too, is reportedly weighing which restrictions to implement.

So far, US diplomatic pressure only succeeded in banning shipments of ASML’s EUV scanners to China. US tool makers, however, have been barred to supply their most advanced gear to Chinese companies.