Earlier we reported that Japan and the Netherlands would comply with the United States order to restrict the sale of lithography machines to China which are needed to produce the latest technology chips. This morning the Dutch government confirmed that they have started steps to prevent the sale of the machine to China by imposing a new license.
ASML, the leading Dutch manufacturer of lithography machines issued a statement that they need to obtain a license from the government before sales can take place. This barrier has not yet come into effect immediately because it needs to go through several processes first before being enshrined in law. Therefore, ASML said they do not see the company's income in 2023 being affected due to the export license requirement.
The Chinese government has already sent a protest to the Netherlands because this directive is seen as supporting the technological hegemony of the United States. Through the CHIPS Act passed by Joe Biden last year, their proprietary technology cannot be sold without their permission even if the machine is manufactured outside the United States. All the barriers are imposed by the US as a way to curb China's use of the latest technology for military purposes.