In recent years, the rapid development of China's semiconductor industry has attracted the attention of major lithography machine manufacturers around the world. Among them, ASML in the Netherlands, as one of the world's largest lithography machine manufacturers, is of great importance to the Chinese market. This article will focus on the significant growth of Dutch ASML shipments to China, and the reasons and effects behind it. The Netherlands** provided ASML with an export license, enabling it to continue to ship high-end DUV lithography machines to Chinese mainland, and achieved a huge performance breakthrough. However, this also provoked discontent in the United States, who lamented that they had been abandoned. This article will dig deeper into the motivations behind ASML's shipments to China, and the impact of this trend on the global lithography machine industry, as well as the differences between the United States and the Netherlands in terms of lithography machine exports.
Dutch lithography machine manufacturer ASML has achieved three consecutive increases in shipments to China in recent years, and its performance has made a significant breakthrough. According to statistics, by the end of this year, ASML had delivered a total of 1,400 lithography machines to customers in Chinese mainland, achieving staggering sales figures. This achievement is due to the fact that the Netherlands** issued an export license to ASML, allowing it to continue to supply China's high-end DUV lithography machines. The license began to expire on January 1 next year, so Chinese customers rushed to buy it, and increased orders for ASML. In the first three quarters of this year, ASML's year-on-year shipments to China reportedly increased by % and 1,850%, respectively. In the third quarter in particular, the Chinese market accounted for 46% of ASML's total revenue, far exceeding the 8% at the beginning of the year. ASML's increasing dependence on and attention to the Chinese market indicates the vigorous development of China's semiconductor industry and the continuous expansion of demand for lithography machines.
Under this trend, ASML's shipments to the Chinese market are expected to grow further. As one of the world's largest semiconductor markets, the rapid development of China's semiconductor industry has driven the demand for lithography machines to rise. As the world's largest manufacturer of lithography machines, ASML's high-quality and high-performance lithography machines can meet the needs of the Chinese market and support the further growth of the domestic semiconductor industry. In particular, in the context of the tightening of restrictions in the United States, the Netherlands** granted ASML a license to continue to export high-end DUV lithography machines to the Chinese market, which further promoted the cooperation between the Netherlands and China in the field of lithography machines. However, when the license expires, ASML will be limited in the state-of-the-art lithography machines that ASML can ship to the Chinese market. Therefore, there are good reasons for Chinese customers to seize the opportunity to ensure that they can purchase advanced lithography equipment.
It is worth noting that the Dutch ** has relatively loose export restrictions on ASML, which is in stark contrast to the United States, Japan and other countries. The Netherlands has reached a tripartite agreement with the United States and Japan, but it has shown different attitudes in the implementation process. The Netherlands** began enforcing export restrictions on DUV lithography machines on September 1, but at the same time issued a license to ASML to continue shipping. However, Japan added 23 types of semiconductor equipment to its export control list on July 23, tightening restrictions on exports. The United States has maintained a high level of attention to AI chips and launched an investigation into Nvidia. It can be seen that among the countries of the tripartite agreement, the Netherlands** is more flexible, which provides ASML with the opportunity to ship a large number of goods, so that it has obtained huge business opportunities.
In response, the United States expressed their dissatisfaction and feelings of abandonment. They believe that they are actually "pulled into the water" when they reach a tripartite agreement. They accuse the Netherlands of only caring about its own interests and not valuing cooperation with the United States. However, I think this accusation is too one-sided. The flexibility of the Netherlands** is not a betrayal of the United States, but a trade-off based on national interests. The semiconductor industry is a highly globalized industry, and the development of the industry can only be promoted by mutual benefit and win-win results between countries. The United States should understand that only by allowing its chips to sell well in the global market can this industry flourish and bring more revenue. The decision of the Netherlands** is entirely in the national interest, so it cannot simply be seen as an abandonment of the United States.
The rapid rise of China's semiconductor industry has provided ASML with huge business opportunities, and its shipments to China have continued to rise. The issuance of the Dutch** export license also further strengthens the cooperation between the Netherlands and China in the field of lithography machines. However, the future of ASML's shipments to the Chinese market remains uncertain. With the expiration of the license, ASML will be limited in the number of lithography machine models it can export, and Chinese customers will need to time their purchases to ensure they can purchase the most advanced equipment.
Despite the dissatisfaction of the United States with the decision of the Netherlands, we cannot ignore the fact that the Netherlands as a country also has its own interests to weigh. In the context of increasing competition in the global semiconductor industry, it is normal for countries to adopt different attitudes when it comes to export restrictions. In particular, as one of the core equipment of semiconductor manufacturing, lithography machine is of great significance to the technical strength and industrial chain layout of various countries. Therefore, it is a rational choice for the Netherlands to decide to cooperate more closely with China and allow ASML to continue to export lithography machines to China.
To sum up, the three consecutive increases in shipments to China by the Dutch ASML company have achieved great commercial success, driven by the development of China's semiconductor industry. The Netherlands** issued an export license for ASML, enabling it to continuously ship high-end DUV lithography machines, and provided advanced equipment to Chinese customers. However, export restrictions in this sector and differences in attitudes between different countries also highlight the challenges and changes facing the global semiconductor industry. In the face of this situation, China's semiconductor industry needs to further strengthen its independent research and development capabilities to ensure that it is in a favorable position in the competition of technology and industrial chain. At the same time, international cooperation and exchanges should also be strengthened to jointly promote the prosperity and development of the global semiconductor industry.