US Lawmakers Introduce MATCH Act to Block China Chip Tools

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced the Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware (MATCH) Act on April 2, 2026, to restrict the sale and servicing of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. Led by Representative Michael Baumgartner in the House and Senators Andy Kim and Pete Ricketts in the Senate, the legislation specifically targets deep ultraviolet (DUV) immersion lithography machines. These tools are critical for artificial intelligence and defense systems, and the act aims to close loopholes that have allowed Chinese firms to acquire technology they cannot produce domestically.

The bill explicitly prohibits the sale and technical support of restricted equipment to major Chinese chipmakers, including Huawei, SMIC, Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), and Hua Hong. The legislation employs a diplomacy-first approach, requiring the US government to coordinate aligned controls with allies, such as Japan and the Netherlands, within 150 days. If these allies fail to comply, the US Department of Commerce may implement unilateral restrictions on technology made overseas.

The act significantly impacts ASML Holding, a Dutch company whose older DUV equipment remains a key target. China accounted for 33 percent of ASML's revenue in 2025. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands declined to comment on the draft legislation, US proponents argue the measure is vital to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from dominating technologies that underpin national security and critical infrastructure.