Bloomberg “US promotes doubling of semiconductor equipment controlled by Chinese exports”

Bloomberg News reported that the United States is pursuing a plan to double the number of items of semiconductor equipment regulated by export to China from 17.

Bloomberg News reported on the 10th local time that the US government had briefed US companies on this plan and would announce new export controls as early as April.

It is intended to coordinate the new export controls of the United States with the governments of the Netherlands and Japan, which are semiconductor powerhouses. If the two countries join export controls, the number of equipment is expected to double.

There are three major semiconductor equipment manufacturers in the United States, such as Applied Materials, KLA, and Lam Research, but cutting-edge semiconductor production is impossible without equipment from Tokyo Electron in Japan or ASML in the Netherlands.

In October last year, the US government had already issued regulations effectively banning the export of advanced semiconductor production equipment to China.

Bloomberg Communications predicted that semiconductor equipment companies are already experiencing difficulties in their business in China, and if the United States further strengthens export controls, they will have no choice but to face more difficulties.

If US export controls for semiconductors to China become more stringent, it could affect Korean semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, so the results are notable.