The government of the Netherlands has confirmed it plans to introduce restrictions on exports of microchip technology, following similar curbs introduced by the U.S in October 2022. The country has long been under pressure from Washington to tighten restrictions on exports to hinder China′s domestic chip production.
Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher announced the decision in a letter to parliament in March 2023, explaining that the measures will affect „very specific technologies in the semiconductor production cycle.”
„Because the Netherlands considers it necessary on national security grounds to get this technology into oversight with the greatest of speed, the Cabinet will introduce a national control list,“ the letter said. The measures will come into effect before summer.
Dutch company ASML is the only company in the world that manufactures ultraviolet lithography machines which are essential to the production of advanced semiconductors. After the announcement the company confirmend that the upcoming regulations will mean it “will need to apply for export licenses for shipment of the most advanced immersion DUV systems“.
Schreinemacher said the government had decided on measures „as carefully and precisely as possible … to avoid unnecessary disruption of value chains.“
„It is for companies of importance to know what they are facing and to have time to adjust to new rules,“ she wrote.
In response to the news, China launched a formal complaint, and said it hoped the Netherlands would not „follow the abuse of export control measures by certain countries“. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, said the Dutch move aimed to deprive China of its right to develop.
