Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

US-China chip war: Netherlands moves to restrict some tech exports

US-China chip war: Netherlands moves to restrict some tech exports

The Dutch government is to put restrictions on the country's "most advanced" microchip technology exports to protect national security, following a similar move by the US.
It will include products by chip equipment maker ASML, a key firm in the global microchip supply chain.

In response, China has launched a formal complaint against the move.

It said it hoped the Netherlands would not "follow the abuse of export control measures by certain countries".

China has frequently called the US a "tech hegemony" in response to export controls imposed by Washington.

Semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to military hardware, are at the centre of a bitter dispute between the US and China.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, said the Dutch move aimed to deprive China of its right to develop.

Dexter Roberts, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, told the BBC that the decision by the Netherlands was "a real step forward, a real victory for the US and also very bad news for China".

"US-China relations are already in a pretty bad place. This clearly will make things even worse."

The measures will affect "very specific technologies in the semiconductor production cycle," the Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher said.

"The Netherlands considers it necessary on national and international security grounds that this technology is brought under control as soon as possible," she said in a letter to lawmakers on Wednesday.

Ms Schreinemacher added that the Dutch government had considered "the technological developments and geopolitical context," without naming China or ASML.

Under the new rules, companies would have to apply for licences to export technology including "the most advanced Deep Ultra Violet (DUV) immersion lithography and deposition".

ASML said in a statement that it expects the restrictions to apply to its "most advanced immersion DUV systems".

The company added that "based on today's announcement, our expectation of the Dutch government's licensing policy, and the current market situation, we do not expect these measures to have a material effect on our financial outlook."

Lithography machines use lasers to print miniscule patterns on silicon as part of the manufacturing process of microchips.

Since 2019 the Dutch government has stopped ASML from selling its most advanced lithography machines to China.

In October, Washington announced that it would require licences for companies exporting chips to China using US tools or software, no matter where they are made in the world.

The US has been pushing the Netherlands and Japan to adopt similar restrictions.

Meanwhile, South Korea's trade ministry raised concerns over the US policy on semiconductors earlier this week.

"The South Korean government will make it clear that the conditions of the Chips Act could deepen business uncertainties, violate companies' management and technology rights as well as make the United States less attractive as an investment option," the ministry said.

South Korea is home to major microprocessor manufacturers including the world's biggest memory chip maker Samsung.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
×