Dutch semiconductor companies will have to seek government permission before they can sell some types of chip-making equipment abroad, a move that follows discussions with the U.S. aimed at limiting China’s access to such advanced technologies.
The Dutch government published the new rules Friday, several months after national-security officials from the Netherlands, Japan and the U.S. reached an agreement to start restricting such exports. The rules are set to take effect in September and aren’t specific to China, the government said.
“We’ve taken this step on national security grounds,” said Liesje Schreinemacher, the Netherlands’ minister for foreign trade and development cooperation.
The new rules “address the most important vulnerabilities without causing unnecessary disruption to the global manufacture of chips,” she said.
The U.S. last year announced restrictions on selling advanced U.S. semiconductor technology to China, and the Biden administration is considering further curbs, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week.
The Dutch rules, which were first announced in March, focus on certain technologies that are used for the development and manufacture of advanced chips and can have military applications, the government said. It said the Netherlands has an added responsibility for managing exports of the technology because of its leading position on chips.
The Netherlands is home to ASML, one of the world’s most important manufacturers of semiconductor equipment.
ASML shares were down around 2% Friday morning, while the overall Dutch market was largely flat.
ASML said on Friday that it doesn’t expect the new measures to have a material impact on its financial outlook. It said the new rules apply narrowly to the company’s most advanced immersion lithography machines.
“ASML will continue to comply with applicable export regulations,” it said.
European governments have in recent years taken a more cautious approach to trade relations with China. A strategy on economic security published by the European Union’s executive body earlier this month included a call for member states to consider new controls for European investment in other countries, including China, based on potential security risks.
Write to Kim Mackrael at [email protected]
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