80 lithography machines, 40 billion!ASML Official Announcement, People**: Abandon Illusions.
Chips are modern industrial"Grain"The lithography machine is the basic equipment for chip production and is also known as the crown of semiconductors"Pearl"It can be said that whoever can master the basic technology of the lithography machine will be able to dominate the chip production!As the world's largest and most technologically advanced lithography machine giant, ASML naturally has a high right to speak, especially in the field of high-end chip production, ASML is almost in a monopoly position, because only ASML can carry out the research and development and production of EUV lithography machines, even Japan's Nikon and Canon are far from being able to compare! !
However, since the revision of chip regulations, ASML has not been able to ship EUV lithography machines freely, coupled with the fact that Chinese companies have begun to embark on the road of independent research and development, continuously'Cut orders'Imported chips have led to the accumulation of a large number of chip inventories by American giants such as Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, and ASML has suffered huge losses, especially in the US market. According to the data of 2019-2021, the US market, where ASML's revenue fell by nearly 20%, is almost all due to the loss of EUV lithography machines**, which is shocking!
China has become ASML's third largest business market.
In this regard, ASML is also very helpless, although it is the world's largest lithography machine giant, and also has the most advanced technology, but in the process of producing lithography machines, more or less will use American technology and equipment, so under the constraints of the chip principle, it has to decide to compromise!However, in order to stabilize revenue and ensure the continuity of the company, ASML directly turned its business market to the Chinese market, after all, China is the world's largest semiconductor consumer market, and SMIC in Chinese mainland has also been expanding its factory frantically in the past two years, and it is said that the monthly production capacity has reached 1700 million units, the demand for lithography machines is very large, so ASML has been exporting DUV and other products to Chinese customers for the past two years!Low-end lithography machine.
Data shows that in 2022 alone, ASML will export about 100 lithography machines to the Chinese market, which has quickly become ASML's third largest business market!As DUV lithography machine deliveries continue to increase, ASML's missing revenue from EUV lithography machines is being filled. In this context, the CEO of ASML also publicly announced at the end of last year that he would increase the production capacity of lithography machines to 600 units in 2023 and give priority to allocating production capacity to Chinese customers
After the signing of the tripartite agreement, ASML continued to make great efforts in the Chinese market.
However, what ASML never expected was that just when it was preparing to ship a large number of goods to the Chinese market, the Netherlands ** announced the details of the tripartite agreement under pressure from the United States, saying that from September 1 this year, it will further tighten the free shipment of high-end DUV lithography models such as 2000i, that is, ASML will not even be able to deliver DUV lithography machines to Chinese customers in the future, which is undoubtedly worse for ASML. This is undoubtedly a problem for ASML"Bad news"Because if it can't continue to ship to Chinese customers, ASML's revenue will be greatly affected, and when the domestic lithography machine breaks through, ASML's future is likely to completely lose the Chinese market!
As a result, even under the constraints of the tripartite agreement, ASML continues to supply lithography machines to Chinese customers. With constant lobbying from the Netherlands**, ASML has now been granted a transport license, and although it is only four months, at least they can continue to deliver the remaining orders to Chinese customers. According to the data, in the first three quarters of this year, ASML exported a total of 80 lithography machines to the Chinese market, with a total revenue of more than 40 billion yuan, and the proportion of revenue rose from 8% in the first quarter to 46% in the third quarter. It's no wonder that ASML will do everything possible to ship to China, after all, the demand of Chinese customers is too high!
In this regard, the CEO of ASML also issued some official statements, he said that without the Wassenaar agreement and chip rules, China would be our largest consumer market for EUV lithography machines!In addition, ASML also said that they still believe in the Chinese market in 2024, so it is clear that in 2024, ASML will find a solution that will allow them to continue to ** the Chinese market.
As the saying goes, the main reason why ASML will continue to show us the good side is because of the huge market demand in China, and when the chain of interests eager to make more profits collapses, it will not hesitate"Turn the other cheek"Even fall into the ground!Therefore, in the past two years, "People's **" has constantly issued warnings: we must abandon all illusions about foreign companies and advocate independent research and development in a down-to-earth manner. Mastering your own core technology is the right way, and only in this way can you truly achieve self-sufficiency!That is, if you realize it!