The Japanese government has started consulting companies about the possibility of joining the US restrictions on semiconductor equipment to China, reports the Nikkei. Officials are weighing which restrictions can be adopted in Japan, and will watch how other US allies such as the European Union and South Korea respond, the newspaper writes.
Japan is home to Tokyo Electron, Advantest and several other semiconductor equipment and materials companies. “If production of advanced semiconductors halts in China, there will be less of a need for high-added-value, cutting-edge production equipment, one of Japan’s strengths,” said a representative of a major chipmaking equipment manufacturer.
This week, similar reports have surfaced about the US pressuring the Dutch government to halt exports of ASML’s DUV lithography equipment to China. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo reportedly said that she needs as much as nine months to get allies on board.