The Dutch government is close to announcing new export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. According to a Bloomberg report, the new rules could be published as soon as 30 June. As a result, and on top of the existing EUV export restrictions, ASML will likely be barred from shipping its more advanced DUV scanners to China.
The Veldhoven-based equipment maker has previously said that it doesn’t expect the measures to have a material effect on its financial outlook for 2023 or longer-term scenarios. Most Chinese customers are primarily focused on mature nodes and are well served with less advanced immersion lithography tools. Additionally, the longer-term scenarios are primarily based on global secular demand and technology trends, rather than on detailed location assumptions.
However, ASML CEO Peter Wennink has warned that political interventions in the semiconductor supply chain will result in cost increases and supply chain disruptions. He also expects that China will be forced to develop its own semiconductor manufacturing technologies.