By Li Panpan

(JW Insights) Jul 4 -- China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) spokesperson expressed dissatisfaction with the Netherlands announcing new export controls on DUV lithography systems targeting China and firmly opposed the US decoupling and damaging the global semiconductor industry, according to an article on MOC's website on July 1.

China has recently carried out multi-level communications with the Netherlands on semiconductor export control. And China is not satisfied with the country’s final decisions.

China's commerce ministry spokesman stressed that the Netherlands should keep to international economic and trade rules and the bilateral economic and trade cooperation, respect the market principle and contract spirit, avoid relevant measures to hinder normal semiconductor industry cooperation and development between the two countries, not abuse export control measures, to safeguard the Dutch enterprises and their common interests, maintain the stability in global semiconductor industry chain supply chain.

In recent years, the United States excercised global hegemony, constantly generalizing national security concept, abuse export control measures, even at the expense of the Allies, coerce other countries to contain China's semiconductor industry, intentionally decouple global industry chain, generating serious damages to the global semiconductor industry development, China firmly opposed to these, said the MOC website article.

The Netherlands, home to the world's most valuable chip tool maker ASML, on June 30 followed Japan and the U.S. in unveiling details of new export control rules that could further blow China's semiconductor ambitions, reported Nikkei Asia.

The new regulation, which the Dutch government first scheduled for introduction on March 8, would prevent ASML from exporting its advanced chip production tools without licenses.

ASML said two types of its machines fall under the scope of the export control rules and would thus need licenses for export, namely the advanced immersive deep ultraviolet lithography systems (DUV). The machines are part of the TWINSCAN NXT:2000i and later immersion systems.

"The new regulations came into effect on September 1 this year, and now ASML can begin to submit export license applications. The export of equipment models involved in the control regulations must submit an export license application to the Dutch government after September 1, and the Dutch government decides whether to approve it,” said ASML in a statement sent to JW Insights.