US report recommends sinking more ASML exports to China

ASML may face additional US-imposed export restrictions to China. In a report published last week, the US National Security Commission on AI recommends that the US, Japan and the Netherlands “establish a policy of presumptive denial of export licenses” for semiconductor manufacturing equipment “capable of producing chips at the 16nm node and below, particularly EUV equipment and ArF immersion lithography equipment.”

Currently, only the supply of EUV scanners to Chinese companies is being restricted. Following US diplomatic pressure, the Dutch government didn’t renew the export license for EUV technology in 2019. Since then, renewal has been under review, but without a date set as to when the procedures should complete, it’s generally assumed that the license has been put on hold indefinitely. Now, it seems the US might push for expanding the restrictions to DUV immersion equipment.