US urges allies to ban companies from servicing key chip-making tools for China
- Washington is pushing for allies to stop servicing ‘key components’ in chip-making equipment for China-based customers
- Current Dutch and Japanese export rules have no restrictions against local firms servicing tools that Chinese clients previously bought
The United States is asking allies to stop domestic companies from servicing certain semiconductor-manufacturing equipment for Chinese customers, a US Commerce Department official said on Wednesday, as Washington ramps up efforts to hobble mainland China’s chip-making capabilities.
“We are working with our allies to determine what is important to service and what is not important to service,” said export controls chief Alan Estevez, speaking to reporters at an annual conference.
“We’re pushing for not servicing of those key components and these are discussions we are having with our allies.”
The Biden administration announced new restrictions on shipments of American-made chip-making tools to advanced Chinese semiconductor factories in 2022, and convinced key chip-making equipment producers Japan and the Netherlands to follow suit with their own controls.