ASML Chief Financial Officer Roger Dassen has warned that proposed U.S. legislation restricting sales of deep ultraviolet (DUV) chipmaking equipment to China could be counterproductive, arguing that the measures may accelerate China’s efforts to develop competing semiconductor technology.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday following the Dutch semiconductor equipment maker’s third-quarter earnings announcement, Dassen said ASML opposed the proposed restrictions under the U.S. Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware (MATCH) Act. He expressed optimism that lawmakers would reconsider the proposal before it advances further.
The proposed legislation seeks to tighten restrictions on China’s access to critical semiconductor manufacturing equipment and align export controls among the United States and its allies. An earlier revised version of the bill retained restrictions on ASML’s sales of DUV immersion lithography machines to China, raising concerns about the company’s access to the Chinese market.
ASML, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a major supplier of lithography systems used by semiconductor manufacturers worldwide. While existing export controls already restrict its sales of the most advanced equipment to China, additional limitations on DUV technology could further affect the country’s chipmaking industry and ASML’s commercial operations.
The debate highlights the challenge facing policymakers as they seek to limit China’s access to strategic technologies while managing the potential consequences for global semiconductor supply chains. ASML’s warning also underscores the possibility that tighter restrictions could encourage China to invest more heavily in developing domestic alternatives.
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