The US has put pressure on restricting technology exports. Now the Dutch government is joining the project – for security reasons.
The Netherlands wants to limit the export of machines for the production of microchips to China. The reason is “(inter)national security,” Minister for Foreign Trade Liesje Schreinemacher told parliament in The Hague on Wednesday evening.
The export restrictions affect ASML’s new DUV technology for the production of semiconductors. The company from Veldhoven in the south of the Netherlands is the world’s only manufacturer of machines with DUV technology (Deep Ultra Violet).
The regulation should come into force in the summer. From then on, ASML must obtain approval before exporting these machines. The company pointed out that the planned restrictions only affect the latest technology. ASML does not expect any negative financial consequences, as stated on its website.
The USA in particular had urged the Netherlands to significantly limit the export of chip technology to China. Other Western countries also fear that the country could use the technology for military purposes. The Dutch government had already restricted the export of semiconductor technology to China in 2020. Older machines may still be exported.
Source: Stern
