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The US says ASML's top chip tool may be in China. ASML says it isn't According to Bloomberg, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has, in a series of recent meetings, told senior ASML executives he’s concerned that one of the Dutch chipmaker’s extreme ultraviolet lithography machines — the EUV systems that are the only tools on Earth capable of printing the most advanced semiconductor patterns —may have ended up in China. That would be a major breach of export controls that have barred ASML from selling EUV to China since the first Trump administration. It’s a serious claim. Senior administration officials told Bloomberg they have evidence that ASML shipped EUV-related components and transport equipment to China, though they’ve declined, repeatedly, to show it — to Bloomberg or, apparently, to ASML itself. The company says no such machine exists in China and has never existed there. The Commerce Department didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s questions about whether it has evidence of an actual EUV system on Chinese soil. You might think this isn’t worth paying attention to if you’re outside the chip industry, but it is. ASML is a Dutch company most people have never heard of, but it…

Has China obtained the world's most important machine? The Dutch punch above their weight in technology transfers that shaped the modern world. In the 17th century their financial and farming innovations spread to Britain, laying the ground for the Industrial Revolution and the British Empire’s expansion. Peter the Great, a Russian tsar, studied Dutch shipbuilding techniques to build the navy that established Russia as a maritime power in the 18th Century. And in the 1970s a Pakistani scientist, A.Q. Khan, stole blueprints from a Dutch laboratory to launch his country’s nuclear-weapons programme and seed similar efforts in North Korea, Iran and Libya. Could Dutch know-how have just tilted the global balance of power again? So the Trump administration alleges. Since 2019 America has blocked the export to China of the extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography machines that make the world’s most advanced semiconductors. These machines, whose creations power the most capable artificial-intelligence models, are made only by ASML, a Dutch company. In recent weeks, however, America’s commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, has thrown the company into crisis by sharing with it his concerns th…

US raises concerns to ASML about China's access to top chip tools US raises concerns to ASML about China’s access to top chip tools Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick flagged worries that ASML's extreme ultraviolet lithography machines could end up in Chinese hands, but the Dutch chipmaker says it hasn't shipped a single one Share Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 18, 2026 The US government has directly told ASML, the world’s sole manufacturer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, that it is worried China may be acquiring the company’s most advanced chip-making tools. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised the issue in meetings with ASML executives, according to a Bloomberg report. ASML’s response was unequivocal: it has never shipped any EUV systems to China, and none are operating in the country. What’s actually going on EUV lithography machines use light with wavelengths of just 13.5 nanometers to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers, enabling the production of the most advanced chips on the planet. ASML is the only company in the world that makes them. Advertisement The Netherlands has already aligned its export control policies with the US, specifically pre…

China's multi-front campaign to blunt and beat US chip bans China is using several methods to circumvent United States export controls on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, including developing its own machines and stacking artificial intelligence (AI) chips to boost their performance. However, Washington suspects these may not be what Beijing has done alone. It says China may have already obtained an EUV machine from ASML through underground channels. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has questioned ASML’s senior executives over concerns that one of the Dutch company’s EUV systems may have ended up in China in breach of export restrictions, in a series of private meetings that began in April 2026, Bloomberg reported , citing people familiar with the discussions. Several US officials said they possess information indicating that ASML exported equipment associated with EUV systems, including specialized systems used to transport EUV machines, though they declined to disclose any evidence, citing sensitivity concerns. Such a scenario would represent a serious breach of the Wassenaar Arrangement, which bars ASML from shipping EUV lithography equipment to Chinese custo…

US has a warning for one of Europe's biggest technology company US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has warned ASML, Europe's most valuable tech company, that one of its advanced EUV chipmaking machines may have reached China, breaching US export controls. ASML flatly denies ever shipping EUV systems or components to China, while Washington refuses to show evidence. The standoff threatens ASML's $700 billion monopoly and its China revenue amid escalating US-China chip war tensions.

US tells Dutch chipmaker ASML it's concerned China may have top chip ... Dutch chip-equipment giant ASML Holding NV is contending with its biggest challenge yet under the Trump administration: In a series of recent meetings, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick outlined concerns to ASML’s senior leaders that one of its top-of-the-line machines may have made its way into China, in violation of US-led export restrictions. During the meetings, Lutnick expressed concern to ASML executives about the company’s extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines, according to people familiar with the talks. EUV systems are used by firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to manufacture processors for the likes of Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc., and ASML has never been allowed to ship them to China because of curbs imposed during the first Trump administration. ASML has pushed back on Lutnick’s suggestion, explaining that none of these tools — which are the size of a school bus, manufactured in limited quantities, and require constant upkeep by ASML employees — are in China, the people said, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. A company spokesperson, …

US tells ASML it is concerned China may have top chip tool US tells ASML it is concerned China may have top chip tool Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A company spokesperson said that ASML has never shipped an EUV machine – used to make processors for the likes of Nvidia and Apple – to China. PHOTO: REUTERS Published Jun 19, 2026, 11:24 AM Updated Jun 19, 2026, 04:00 PM Listen Hong Kong – Dutch chip-equipment giant ASML Holding is contending with its biggest challenge yet under the Trump administration: In a series of recent meetings, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick outlined concerns to ASML’s senior leaders that one of its top-of-the-line machines may have made its way into China, in violation of US-led export restrictions. In the meetings, Lutnick expressed concern to ASML executives over the company’s extreme ultraviolet lithography – or EUV – machines, according to people familiar with the talks. EUV systems are used by firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to manufacture processors for the likes of Nvidia and Apple, and ASML has never been allowed to ship them to China because of curbs imposed during the first Trump administration. AS…

Europe’s chip equipment company to US: Don’t blame us for China getting the technology Europe's top chip equipment maker, ASML, has refuted US claims that its advanced EUV machines have reached China. The Dutch firm insists it has never shipped such technology to the country, nor any components specifically designed for them. This statement follows US concerns about China potentially acquiring EUV capabilities despite export restrictions. ASML maintains full compliance with Dutch and European export regulations.