The Netherlands and US-China chip war

Electronics, Hardware, Person, Computer Hardware, Printed Circuit Board, Face, Head

The Netherlands announced it would require licenses to export technologies, including Deep Ultra Violet (DUV) immersion lithography and deposition, produced by Dutch microchip equipment maker ASML.

ASML produces lithography machines that use lasers to print minuscule patterns on silicon as part of the manufacturing process of microchips.

According to Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher, this measure has been taken on national and international security grounds.

However, it is not a completely new development. Back in 2019, ASML stopped exporting to China the latest technology. US-China relations have already been impacted due to the restrictions imposed by the US on semiconductor exports from China, which the Netherlands’ decision will further exacerbate.