China yesterday said it would restrict exports to the US of some key components in making semiconductors, after Washington announced curbs targeting Beijing’s ability to make advanced chips.
Among the materials banned from export are metals gallium, antimony and germanium, Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that cited “national security” concerns.
Exports of graphite would also be subject to “stricter reviews of end-users and end-uses,” it said.
Photo: Reuters
“To safeguard national security interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, China has decided to strengthen export controls on relevant dual-use items to the United States,” Beijing said.
“Any organization or individual in any country or region violating the relevant regulations will be held accountable according to the law,” it added.
China accounts for 94 percent of the world’s production of gallium — used in integrated circuits, LEDs and photovoltaic panels — according to a report by the EU published this year.
For germanium, essential for fiber optics and infrared, China makes up 83 percent of production.
In its own latest curbs, Washington on Monday announced restrictions on sales to 140 companies, including Chinese chip firms Piotech Inc (拓荊科技) and SiCarrier Technologies Co (新凱來), without additional permission.
They also impact Naura Technology Group Co (北方華創), which makes chip production equipment, the US Department of Commerce said.
The move expands Washington’s efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, which can be used in advanced weapons systems and artificial intelligence.
The new US rules also include controls on two dozen types of chipmaking equipment and three kinds of software tools for developing or producing semiconductors.
Separately, Dutch tech giant ASML Holding NV, which supplies chipmaking machines for the semiconductor industry, brushed off the announcement of fresh US export curbs to China, keeping its forecasts unchanged.
“For 2024, we do not expect any direct material impact on our business,” the firm said in a statement late on Monday.
“For 2025, we expect that the impact will fall within what was communicated at the time of our Q3 [third quarter] 2024 earnings,” it added.
The firm projected total net sales for next year of 30 billion to 35 billion euros (US$31,56 billion to US$36.82 billion), with sales from China making up about one-fifth of that.
Over the longer term, the new curbs did not impact its predictions for the health of the industry as a whole, ASML said.
“We therefore also confirm potential 2030 scenarios for annual total net sales between approximately 44 billion and 60 billion euros,” it said.
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