US Suspects Restricted ASML Chipmaking Tool Leaked Into China
The US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has raised concerns with senior ASML executives that one of the Dutch company's highly restricted extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines may have ended up in China. This would represent a major breach of export controls designed to keep advanced AI chip capabilities away from Beijing.
While US officials claim to have evidence of EUV components being shipped to China, they have repeatedly declined to share this proof with ASML or the public. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet strongly denies the claim, asserting that the company tracks every system it has ever built and maintains strict internal firewalls to protect its technology.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the US currently lacks this critical technology and is actively funding domestic startups like xLight to break the Dutch monopoly. This dispute highlights that Washington no longer treats its European allies as traditional partners, instead using aggressive pressure to enforce its own tech blockade at the expense of Europe's most valuable company.