Japan tightens controls on exports of chip-making equipment

In Japan, from today, July 23, new rules for the export of equipment for the production of chips come into force. 23 items have been added to the list of export controls that will hamper Chinese imports, writes the Nikkei newspaper.

Tokyo thus supports similar restrictions of Washington, this is done in order to prevent advanced technologies from reaching China, the article says. Industry observers believe that the restrictions will make it difficult for Beijing to import high-tech chip-making tools, and this will provoke a reaction from Beijing.

“The production of advanced semiconductor devices will be almost hopeless for China, at least in the short to medium term,” said Yoshiaki Takayama, a research fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs.

Japan decided to impose restrictions after US authorities passed the “Chips Act” last October, which imposes important bans on the export of advanced chips and equipment for their production to China.

Washington has urged Japan and the Netherlands, the world’s two largest suppliers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, to take similar steps. According to the newspaper, the restrictions in the Netherlands will come into force in September.

The Nikkei also points out that Tokyo accounts for about a third of China’s imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by value.

In January, Bloomberg wrote that Japan and the Netherlands intend to team up with the US to limit exports of chip-making equipment to China. The Netherlands planned to restrict ASML Holding’s ability to sell equipment for the manufacture of certain types of chips to China, and Japan, in turn, planned to take similar measures against Nikon. On June 4, the South China Morning Post reported that Japan has approved export restrictions on the supply to China of 23 types of equipment and materials that can be used in the manufacture of semiconductor components.