The Netherlands restricts semiconductor equipment exports to China from June 2023.
Context
On June 30, 2023, the Netherlands officially announced that it would be restricting exports of some semiconductor equipment – requiring Dutch firms to seek licenses before exporting advanced deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography system technology. Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher justified the move as “in the interest of our national security”.
Consequently, in January 2024 it was reported that Dutch company ASML (a world leader in the semiconductor manufacturing industry) had cancelled exports of three chip machines to China, after the Dutch government revoked its export licenses. And in September 2024, it was reported that the Netherlands had further restricted exports of 1970i and 1980i immersion DUV machines, and banned servicing of AMSL’s existing semiconductor technology in China.
Important context here is a January 17, 2023 meeting between the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and US President Joseph Biden, where discussions reportedly focused on the potential for this measure to be introduced – following the US’ own restrictions on semiconductor technology exports to China in October 2022.
Impact
Recent reporting from September 2024 has suggested that “[m]ainland (Chinese) semiconductor factories could face significant production challenges” as a result of the Netherlands restrictions on servicing of ASML’s existing technology in China. However, at time of writing (September 2024) it is too early to tell how deep this impact will be. In January 2024 Chinese state media refered to measures impacting trade with ASML, saying that “Chinese experts said such a move is more like a show to mollify anti-China elements in the US and that China has passed the point at which it could be choked by a US-led technology crackdown.”
Responses
i) Chinese government and industry responses.
The Chinese government has been vocal in its consistent opposition to these measures. Beijing responded to the initial June 2023 announcement, in which it was not directly named, describing the measure as an “abuse of export control measures” and calling on the Netherlands to “immediately correct its wrongdoings”. The spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce disclosed that China had held multiple rounds of negotiations with the Netherlands about export control measures, however, the Netherlands still decided to impose such measures. The Spokesman further pointed it out that this incident was instigated by the US, aiming to suppress the development of the relevant industry in China.
In September 2024 Beijing’s commerce ministry appeared to blame Washington for the Hague’s stance, saying that “[i]n recent years, in order to maintain its global hegemony, the United States has continued to … coerce certain countries to tighten export control measures for semiconductors and (related) equipment … China is resolutely opposed to this.” At the same time, the Chinese government has reportedly responded to these measures (and those of the US/Japan) by reenergising its attempts to dominate the legacy chip market and by changing its industrial policy goals.
(ii) Netherlands industry responses
ASML, the Dutch company at the centre of this dispute, has largely refrained from commenting on these measures – although it did call rule changes in September 2024 “technical” and claim that profits were unlikely to be impacted in 2024.
(iii) Other states
Analysis from US foreign policy elites argued that Washington D.C. required the Netherlands and Japan to also impose measures on semiconductor exports to China, because “[w]hereas it would have likely taken China, by itself, decades to replace the equipment that the United States is no longer willing to sell, assistance from the Netherlands or Japan could have had China back up and running in as little as a year or two.”
Status
At time of writing [February 2025] some of these measures are still new, and there is little sign of resolution or an end to these measures. There is also a possibility that China will retaliate with its own measures. In this vein, one Chinese state media report stated on September 1, 2024, that “[i]f the Dutch government made the decision to follow the US’ order, it will severely affect China-Netherlands relations in multiple fields. China is unlikely to stand idly by.”
The trade dispute has only escalated since the first measures were enacted. In late-September 2023, the Dutch government decided to expand export control measures on a wider array of semiconductor equipment. These measures were then further expanded in January 2025 on more types of semiconductor-related technology that were now subject to national authorisation requirements, including specific measurement and inspection equipment.
The Chinese government has continuously denounced the destabilising impact of the measures, titling them as being driven entirely by US political pressure.
Reference list and Further Information
Allen, G.C. and E. Benson. 2023. “Clues to the U.S.-Dutch-Japanese Semiconductor Export Controls Deal Are Hiding in Plain Sight.” CSIS. March 1. Available at:
Caixin. 2023. ‘The export of part of the DUV mask aligners produced by ASML would be suspended next year after the export control measures were brought into force by the government of the Netherlands’ [荷兰出口管制生效 阿斯麦部分DUV光刻机年后不再对华出口]. September 1. Available at: https://m.caixin.com/m/2023-09-01/102099409.html.
Chu, Daye. 2024. “Blocking of ASML exports to China opposed, latest US crackdown to have ‘limited effect’.” Global Times. January 2. Available at:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202401/1304652.shtml
FNEWS. 2025. ‘China strongly opposed the decision made by the Netherlands to expand the export control measures on advanced semiconductor equipment’ [中方: 坚决反对! 荷兰将再扩大对先进半导体设备出口管制]. January 16. Available at: https://www.ifnews.com/news.html?aid=686282&cid=49#:~:text=2024%E5%B9%B49%E6%9C%886,%E8%8E%B7%E5%BE%97%E8%8D%B7%E5%85%B0%E7%9A%84%E7%89%B9%E5%88%AB%E6%89%B9%E5%87%86%E3%80%82.
Government of the Netherlands. 2024. ‘The Netherlands expands export control measure for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment’. September 6. Available at: https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2024/09/06/the-netherlands-expands-export-control-measure-advanced-semiconductor-manufacturing-equipment
Government of the Netherlands. 2025. ‘Klever: export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to be tightened’. January 15. Available at: https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2025/01/15/klever-export-controls-on-advanced-semiconductor-manufacturing-equipment-to-be-tightened#:~:text=On%201%20April%202025%20the,to%20a%20national%20authorisation%20requirement
Global Times. 2024. “ASML risks losing Chinese market permanently if it complies with US restrictions.” Global Times. September 1. Available at: https://www.globaltimes.cn/ page/202409/1319035.shtml
Pan, C. 2024. “China hit hard by new Dutch export controls on ASML chip-making equipment.” South China Morning Post. September 16. Available at:
Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. 2024. ‘The spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce responded to the incident that the Netherlands expanded export control measures for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment’ [商务部新闻发言人就荷兰半导体出口管制问题答记者问]. September 8. Available at: https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/xwfyrth/art/2024/art_3f59cc3f8e354729909b874ef3911bfd.html.
Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. 2025. ‘The spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce responded to the incident that the Netherlands tightened export control measures for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment’ [商务部新闻发言人就荷兰半导体出口管制问题答记者问]. January 15. Available at: https://www.mofcom.gov.cn/xwfb/xwfyrth/art/2025/art_a378b59f21104e7e84e629e7a96c898c.html
Reuters. 2024. “China blames US ‘coercion’ for new Dutch export controls on ASML chip-making equipment.” South China Morning Post. September 9. Available at:
South China Morning Post. 2024. “China hit hard by new Dutch export controls on ASML chip-making equipment.” Yahoo! Finance. September 2024. Available at:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-hit-hard-dutch-export-093000191.html
Sterling, T. 2023. “Dutch curb chip equipment exports, drawing Chinese ire.” Reuters. June 30. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/technology/amid-us-pressure-dutch-announce-new-chip-equipment-export-rules-2023-06-30/
Uznańska, P. 2023. “The European front of the war over microchips. The Netherlands joins the anti-Chinese coalition.” Centre for Eastern Studies. September 4. Available at:
Van der Wees, G. 2023. “Why the Netherlands Should Restrict Semiconductor Tech Exports to China.” The Diplomat. January 31. Available at: https://thediplomat.com/ 2023/01/why-the-netherlands-should-restrict-semiconductor-tech-exports-to-china/