Dutch minister lobbies Washington against US bill targeting ASML chip exports
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma meets with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and lawmakers to oppose legislation that would restrict Chinese access to Western semiconductor equipment.
Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma travelled to Washington this week to meet with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and members of Congress, seeking to oppose the MATCH Act. The proposed legislation would prohibit Chinese chipmakers from accessing Western semiconductor equipment, a move that would significantly impact ASML, the Netherlands’ most valuable company and the sole global manufacturer of sophisticated lithography machines for cutting-edge AI chips.
The bill seeks to extend existing export controls to ASML’s deep ultraviolet (DUV) immersion machines. This would go further than the long-standing ban on the company’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) tools, which are already restricted from reaching China. According to ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, the DUV tools currently available to Chinese buyers are older-generation machines first shipped approximately a decade ago, which the MATCH Act would now relegate off limits.
The economic stakes for the Netherlands are substantial, with China accounting for 19% of ASML’s net system sales. Sjoerdsma acknowledged the gravity of the situation following his meetings, telling Bloomberg that it is exceptional for him to visit Washington to outline concerns to Congress. He noted that the stakes for the Netherlands may be very high given the potential impact on its leading technology firm.
The MATCH Act was introduced in April and has not yet faced a full House or Senate vote. Bloomberg reports that the bill would likely need to be folded into a larger legislative package to pass Congress, leaving its ultimate fate uncertain. The legislation represents a tightening of US export controls that European allies argue could disrupt established supply chains and harm the interests of key partners.
ASML remains the only maker in the world of the sophisticated lithography machines used to produce cutting-edge AI chips. The company’s position as a critical node in the global semiconductor supply chain means that any expansion of US export controls has immediate and wide-ranging implications for international trade and technology development.
