The Chief Executive Director of the Dutch manufacturer for semiconductors ASML Holding announced that another one of its products now falls under the scope of new export restrictions announced by the United States. At a press conference, after the announcement of the company’s results for the third quarter, CEO Peter Vennik said he expects the demand from Chinese manufacturers of microcircuits to remain high, despite the growing list of export restrictions introduced by the US and the Netherlands.
Vennik specified that another ASML product, which had not previously fallen under the operation of the Dutch licensing rules for export introduced this year, can now be limited in accordance with the new US export rules announced on Tuesday. The ASML 1980DI tool can be used for the production of both relatively advanced computer chips and the middle and old generation chips.
ASML dominates the lithography equipment market, which is used by microcircuit manufacturers, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Samsung Electronics, and Intel Corp, to create microcircuits. The Chinese mainland state is the third-largest ASML market after Taiwan and South Korea. However, sales in China in the third quarter amounted to 46% of the total ASML sales, against the background of weak demand from other regions and the desire of Chinese customers to provide themselves with tools until Dutch restrictions were fully entered. “I do not think that we will see a peak this year, I think that a significant demand for mature technologies will come from China,” Vennik said. He added that export restrictions affect about 15% of ASML sales in China.
Earlier on Wednesday, ASML warned that sales in 2024 may remain at the same level, as manufacturers of microcircuits postpone capital expenses against the background of an uncertain economic situation.