ASML chip machines blocked from export to China

ASML said in a statement late Monday the Dutch government had recently revoked a licence for shipping an unspecified number of machines "impacting a small number of customers in China."

ASML chip machines blocked from export to China, Source: asml.com

Semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to cars, have become a geopolitical battleground, with the West seeking to restrict China's access over fears they could be used for advanced weaponry.

In October, the United States announced tighter export curbs on state-of-the-art artificial intelligence chips, sparking fury in Beijing.

Citing unnamed sources, financial news agency Bloomberg News reported that US officials contacted the Dutch government and ASML late last year in a bid to halt the shipments.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin lashed out Tuesday at what he called Washington's "bullying behaviour."

Such action "seriously violates international trade rules, seriously damages the global semiconductor industry layout, and seriously impacts the security and stability of international industrial and supply chains," said Wang.

ASML said the export curbs would not have a "material impact" on its financial outlook. However, shares in the firm dropped 1.3 percent in early afternoon trading, while Amsterdam's blue-chip AEX index was down 0.4 percent overall.

Amid trade tensions with China, there are also concerns that Beijing may introduce its own export controls on gallium and germanium -- two rare earth metals critical for the manufacture of semiconductors.

China said last month it would halt the export of a range of rare earth metal processing technologies.

Wang warned the United States would "inevitably suffer the consequences of its own actions."

A Dutch foreign minister spokesman declined to comment on the individual case but noted that export licences are assessed "on a case-by-case basis based on the national security of the Netherlands."

Vietnam's semiconductor market predicted to reach $8.1 billion by 2028 Vietnam's semiconductor market is predicted to reach $8.1 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate of 12.6 per cent over the 2023-2028 period, according to a report by IMARC Group released on December 21.

PM visits northern region's first semiconductor chip factory in Bac Giang Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 23 visited Hana Micron Vina Ltd., a company invested by the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the first semiconductor chip manufacturer in the northern region, which is located in Van Trung industrial park, Viet Yen district , the northern province of Bac Giang.

Foxconn's ShunSin Technology to establish semiconductor subsidiary ShunSin Technology is planning to open a subsidiary in Vietnam costing $20 million.

World should keep eye on development of Vietnam Vietnam, a nation once dominated by agriculture, is now eagerly courting the interest of international investors and manufacturers in the semiconductor and chip production industry. Encouraged by an impressive economic transformation, a strategic geographic location, and a rapidly increasing pool of skilled labour, Vietnam is positioning itself as a potential destination for this high-tech industry.