ASML Pushes Back on Claims Its Advanced EUV Chipmaking Machines Reached China
ASML is once again at the center of the global semiconductor dispute, as questions grow over whether China has gained access to the Dutch company’s most advanced chip manufacturing equipment.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has reportedly raised concerns with ASML leadership multiple times about the possibility that the company’s extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, widely known as EUV systems, may have found their way into China. These machines are considered essential for producing the most advanced semiconductors because they use highly precise ultraviolet light to print incredibly small circuit patterns onto silicon wafers.
The issue is sensitive because EUV lithography technology plays a crucial role in manufacturing leading-edge chips used in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, smartphones, data centers, and advanced military systems. For years, the United States has worked with allies to limit China’s access to the tools needed to produce cutting-edge semiconductors.
ASML, however, strongly denies that any of its EUV machines have ever been shipped to China.
The company stated that it has always followed export control rules and has not sent EUV systems, EUV-specific components, modules, or equipment to China. ASML emphasized that its machines are not easy to move or hide. EUV systems are extremely large, produced in limited numbers, and require frequent maintenance and support, making them highly traceable throughout their operational life.
The controversy around ASML’s EUV technology is not new. The company first came under intense U.S. scrutiny during the first Trump administration, when Washington pushed to stop the sale of EUV machines to Chinese customers. Around that time, ASML’s export license for EUV equipment to China expired, and no new license was issued.
Without EUV machines, it becomes far more difficult for chipmakers to produce the smallest and most advanced semiconductor designs. While older deep ultraviolet lithography systems can still be used for many types of chips, EUV technology is widely seen as necessary for efficient mass production at the most advanced process nodes.
That is why any suggestion that China may have obtained access to EUV equipment attracts major attention in both political and technology circles. If China were able to operate EUV systems, it could significantly strengthen its domestic semiconductor ambitions and reduce dependence on foreign chip suppliers.
ASML has repeatedly insisted that it is not violating export restrictions. The company says compliance is a major priority, especially as international rules surrounding semiconductor technology continue to shift.
ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet has also addressed speculation about the company’s China shipments, saying ASML has faced damaging rumors in the past but continues to follow every applicable rule. He noted that export regulations often change, and when they do, the company adjusts its behavior accordingly.
According to Fouquet, ASML has a large internal compliance effort dedicated to ensuring the company operates within the law. He described compliance as a critical part of doing business in today’s difficult geopolitical environment.
The dispute highlights the growing importance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the broader technology rivalry between the United States and China. Chips are now viewed as strategic assets, and the tools used to make them have become a major focus of export controls.
ASML remains the world’s dominant supplier of EUV lithography machines, giving it a unique and powerful position in the global chip supply chain. Its equipment is used by leading semiconductor manufacturers to produce some of the most advanced processors on the market.
For now, ASML maintains that no EUV machine has been sent to China and that its equipment is closely monitored. Still, the continued questions from U.S. officials show that chipmaking technology will remain a central issue in global trade, national security, and the future of the semiconductor industry.
