Dutch Chip Equipment Maker ASML Expected to Join Trade Delegation to China in July

ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer that serves as a key pillar in the U.S.-led efforts to curb China's semiconductor industry, is expected to join the Dutch trade minister's upcoming visit to China next month, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Citing anonymous sources, the SCMP reported that 17 Dutch corporate executives will accompany Reinette Klever, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, on her visit to China in early July, with representatives from ASML and NXP Semiconductors among them.

ASML declined to comment on whether it would be participating in the delegation, and NXP Semiconductors also did not provide a response.

ASML, the world's largest semiconductor equipment maker, holds a monopoly on the production of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are essential for the mass production of advanced semiconductors.

Under pressure from the U.S. during the first Trump administration, the Dutch government banned ASML from exporting EUV lithography machines to China in 2019. Since 2024, it has also restricted the export of deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, which have lower specifications.

The ban on ASML's lithography equipment exports has been considered one of the most "painful" measures among the various high-tech restrictions China faces.

The U.S. government recently claimed to have evidence that ASML exported EUV lithography machine parts and transfer equipment to China. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick also personally conveyed concerns to senior ASML executives that one EUV lithography machine may have entered China.

ASML has categorically denied these allegations.

Minister Klever visited the U.S. on June 23 and met with Secretary Lutnick to discuss the U.S. "Multilateral Alliance for Technology Control and Hardware" (MATCH) Act.

The MATCH Act, introduced to the U.S. Congress in April, aims to expand U.S. export restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment to allies. It is designed to prevent China from procuring equipment and parts necessary for advanced semiconductor manufacturing from countries other than the U.S., such as the Netherlands and Japan.

The Dutch government officially expressed its opposition to the bill last month, as it would further restrict ASML's business operations in China.

While the Netherlands aligns with the U.S. in restricting the export of cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing equipment, there have been observations of disagreements regarding the sale and servicing of some lower-performance equipment.

However, the Dutch government did bolster U.S. "tech diplomacy" on June 23 by announcing its participation in the U.S.-led artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain consultative body, "Pax Silica" (which includes South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Israel, Singapore, the U.K., and Qatar).

Minister Klever is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on July 6.

The following day, she is set to hold talks with her counterpart, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, and attend a business event featuring Dutch and Chinese entrepreneurs.

She is expected to travel to Shanghai on July 8 and conclude her visit to China on July 9 after visiting local companies.

Meanwhile, Nexperia, an automotive semiconductor company that serves as another focal point in the Dutch-Chinese trade conflict alongside ASML, will not be participating in this delegation.

The SCMP reported that the reason for its absence is the unresolved legal dispute between Nexperia and its Chinese parent company, Wingtech.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.