China's lithography machine market demand is strong!
In 2022, China imported around 100 lithography machines from ASML with a total value of €2.1 billion (about 17 billion yuan), which at the time many considered to be a difficult to recover in the short term**.
Surprisingly, however, 2023 will be even higher, as China imported more than 50 billion yuan worth of ASML lithography products between January and November alone, and exports are expected to reach 60 billion yuan this year, more than triple that of 2022.
As it stands, ASML will import more than 200 lithography machines from ASML next year, twice as many as last year, most of which will be advanced immersion lithography machines, and the number of dry DUV lithography machines will be reduced.
In the first quarter, ASML accounted for only 8% of total sales, 24% in China in the second quarter, 46% in the third quarter, and still 46% in the fourth quarter.
At the same time, the demand for ASML lithography equipment in the Chinese market is growing rapidly, and the purchase volume is increasing.
What's going on? The reason is simple: China is building a new chip factory, there is a high demand for lithography machines, and ASML, the world's largest manufacturer of lithography machines, has received a large number of orders.
On the other hand, ASML's patent expires at the end of 2023, and China is unlikely to invest in its advanced immersive lithography machine. As a result, ASML must seize the time to buy as many EUV lithography machines as possible by 2024.
In other words, by 2023, China will buy more lithography machines from ASML, and ASML will produce as many lithography machines as possible, which is a win-win situation.
As a result, ASML has also announced that it will abandon all orders from China by 2023, indicating that ASML urgently needs to produce more lithography equipment.
Finally, ASML will no longer sell its best lithography machines in recent years in China, so the best thing ASML can do now is sell as much as possible and make as much money as possible.
Industry experts estimate that the 60 billion yuan of lithography machines is enough to support China's development in three to five years, and it is possible that China will produce its own lithography machines.
But it will take three to five years for domestic lithography machines to be replaced, otherwise it will become a big problem.