A US House panel has approved 20 new export control measures to restrict China’s access to advanced semiconductor technology. The proposed Match Act, introduced by Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner, aims to align US allies with Washington’s restrictions on exporting advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. Baumgartner emphasized China’s intentions to dominate crucial technologies for the US economy and national defense, stressing the need to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from acquiring semiconductor manufacturing tools.
The bill could impact the sale of high-end equipment like deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines manufactured by ASML. Additionally, other bills such as the ‘Stop Stealing Our Chips Act’ and the ‘Deterring American AI Model Theft Act’ were advanced. These bills propose incentives for reporting export control violations and sanctions on Chinese artificial intelligence firms accused of misusing US-developed models, respectively.
While some initial restrictions were revised before the vote, key curbs on advanced tools remain intact. The US is intensifying efforts to limit China’s technological progress in critical areas like semiconductors and artificial intelligence to safeguard national security. The US semiconductor industry has expressed support for stricter controls, citing concerns about competition from Chinese companies like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation.
