By Kate Yuan

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, world's top two memory chipmakers, have been exempted from the new U.S. export control measures for one year, reported South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on October 12.

SK Hynix confirmed the news and announced the same day that it will provide necessary semiconductor equipment for Chinese factories without further licensing requirements for one year. The production of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in China will not be affected.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are currently upgrading their Chinese factories and need to import multiple devices. Due to the large number of equipment, the approval procedures for each item are complicated and time-consuming. The two companies could obtain the required comprehensive license for equipment import at one time through this measure.

The US Department of Commerce announced on October 7 that it will restrict the export of production equipment for use in China to produce DRAM chips that are 18 nanometers and below, NAND flash chips with 128 layers or more, and logic chips 14 nm and below.

The report said that US authorities have allowed South Korean companies to ensure the supply of manufacturing equipment for their factories in China by obtaining additional licensing requirements.

According to Reuters, the US government has allowed at least two non-Chinese chipmakers operating in China on October 11 to receive goods and services from suppliers without additional licensing, in a bid to avoid disruptions of the new regulations to the chip industry.