Japan’s government has announced its intention to impose restrictions on the export of certain types of computer chips, following similar moves by the US and the Netherlands. The new measures will apply to 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The policy will be subject to public comment, with plans to implement it in July. The restrictions will apply to equipment supplied by major technology companies including Tokyo Electron and Nikon. They will affect exports ranging from tools used to clean silicon wafers to immersion lithography machines.
Semiconductors are used to power everything from mobile phones to military hardware, and they are at the center of a bitter dispute between the US and China. Friday’s statement from Japan’s trade and industry ministry did not make any reference to China or the US. However, the Chinese government has frequently called the US a “tech hegemony” in response to export controls imposed by Washington.
Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura has said that the move was not coordinated with US restrictions. He added that if Japan’s exports are not being reappropriated for military use, they will continue to export. The Japanese government believes the impact on companies will be limited. The announcement came as Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was due to visit Beijing at the weekend. Mr. Hayashi said he will meet his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang for “an honest and frank discussion to create a constructive and stable relationship”.
In October, Washington announced that it would require licences for companies exporting chips to China using US tools or software, no matter where they are made in the world. The US had also called on the Netherlands and Japan to adopt similar restrictions. This month, the Dutch government said it would put restrictions on the country’s “most advanced” microchip technology exports to protect national security. Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher said the measures will affect “very specific technologies in the semiconductor production cycle”.
The imposition of export restrictions by various countries is an attempt to control the supply of crucial technology amid concerns that they could be used for military purposes. Semiconductors have become a key battleground in the trade war between the US and China, as Beijing looks to develop its own semiconductor industry to reduce reliance on foreign technology.
