The Netherlands have also decided – like the United States – to strengthen the barriers to the export of technologies related to microprocessors. ASML, the Dutch company specializing in the printing of miniature circuits, is at the heart of the matter.
Target of this new measure, China. The Chinese authorities immediately responded, assuring that this posture reflected “harassment and hegemony” of the West.
ASML, specialized in lithography, is a key player in the manufacture of semiconductors. Its machines are installed in the factories of Qualcomm and Intel. It was therefore under pressure from the United States that the Netherlands took these protectionist export restriction measures.
Biden has imposed export controls to limit China’s access to certain electronic components
In October, the Biden administration imposed export controls to limit China’s access to certain electronic components it says can be used to make weapons and improve the speed and accuracy of its logistics. military. She urged allies like Japan and the Netherlands to do the same.
“To the detriment of the interest of its allies, a certain country has forced and forced some countries to impose restrictions on exports to China,” also said a Chinese spokesperson, targeting without naming them the United States.
In detail, export restrictions should mainly affect Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography or deep ultraviolet lithography technology. This technology makes it possible to print microchips to the nearest nanometer. The purpose of this restriction is to prevent any military use and to protect the leading position of the Netherlands in these technologies, said the government in The Hague.
A factory using this technology suffered a fire last year in Berlin. ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven in the south of the Netherlands, is the world’s only manufacturer of machines that use extreme ultraviolet lithography to manufacture advanced semiconductor chips. Since 2019, the Dutch government has banned ASML from exporting some of its machines to China, but the company has still shipped lesser quality lithography systems there.