The Trump administration, through U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, raises concerns with Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML that one of its most advanced lithography machines may have reached China, potentially in breach of U.S.-led export restrictions. According to multiple reports, Lutnick communicates this concern to ASML senior leadership during recent meetings. The specific machine is described as ASML’s top-of-the-line extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology.
ASML rejects the suggestion and says none of its EUV systems are in China. Bloomberg and other outlets report that ASML contends it has not shipped EUV equipment or related components to China, and that it is trying to address the issue while the U.S. has not provided clear public evidence about how or where such equipment might have ended up. Some coverage characterizes the situation as an ongoing dispute in which ASML is working to prove that the alleged transfer did not occur.
The reports describe a wider context of intensifying U.S.-China technology and semiconductor competition, with ASML facing scrutiny over compliance and the potential impact on its China-related business.
