U.S. Accuses ASML of Illegally Shipping EUV Tech to China

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick informed senior executives at ASML Holding NV that the United States believes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine or related components may have been illegally transferred to China. The Trump administration claims to possess evidence that ASML shipped EUV-related components and transport equipment to China, suggesting the company is not acting in good faith. However, U.S. officials have declined to share this evidence with the company or the public.

ASML Holding NV has firmly denied the allegations, stating it has never shipped an EUV machine, component, module, or piece of equipment specifically designed for an EUV machine to China. CEO Christophe Fouquet maintains that the company tracks all shipped equipment and utilizes an internal firewall to prevent unauthorized access. The company further noted that the massive size and specialized maintenance requirements of the 314 operating EUV machines make undetected relocation nearly impossible.

The dispute comes as the U.S. Congress considers a bipartisan bill to subject ASML to the same strict export restrictions as U.S. firms and potentially ban sales of older deep ultraviolet (DUV) tools to China. The government of the Netherlands has not initiated official action over the allegations, asserting that semiconductor exports follow clear rules and control lists. Separately, reports indicate China has developed its own prototype EUV machine using a team of former ASML engineers.