German media: US-China chip war;殃及 German companies

According to reports by Münchener Merkur, the United States is banning the export of critical chip software to China, and the consequences are affecting companies like Siemens. The U.S. government introduced new export control measures in late May 2025, strictly restricting the sale of certain software to China. Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software is crucial for the development of modern semiconductors. Siemens confirmed these measures to the German Handelsblatt. Consultant Jost Wübbeke from Sinolytics described this move as a "nuclear option," as the entire Chinese semiconductor industry is now affected.

On May 23, the U.S. government informed EDA software suppliers about new export control measures targeting China and global end-users associated with the Chinese military. According to insiders cited by the Financial Times, sales of EDA software to China have been effectively banned.

The next step in the trade conflict: new export restrictions impact China's chip development. These new restrictions mainly affect American companies Cadence and Synopsys, as well as Siemens Digital Industries' subsidiary, Siemens EDA. Together, these three companies account for approximately 80% of the Chinese EDA market. Reports show that Synopsys' revenue from the previous fiscal year in China was close to $1 billion, accounting for about 16% of its total revenue. Cadence's revenue was around $550 million, representing 12% of its income. Siemens does not separately report its EDA business revenue in China, but the group's overall revenue in China accounts for approximately 11% of its total revenue.

Experts warn that the vast majority of China's chip design companies rely on American EDA tools. Wübbeke stated that although China has alternatives, they are "far from becoming viable substitutes."

The U.S. is attempting to hinder China's progress in the field of artificial intelligence. The Chinese government has not yet officially responded to the new export control measures. However, Chinese companies may be trying to use outdated or unauthorized software to bridge short-term bottlenecks. Additionally, it has been reported that China has implemented new export controls on aircraft engines, machine tools, semiconductor chemicals, and gases such as butane and ethane. The dispute between the two countries over chips has escalated in recent days. These new technological restrictions further hinder China's progress in high-performance chip research and development, particularly for chips needed in artificial intelligence.

Since October 2022, the U.S. has continuously strengthened export controls on semiconductor manufacturing and development technologies supplied to China. This affects not only the export of high-performance chips themselves but also the export of the most advanced equipment required to produce these chips.

Export restrictions also affect American company NVIDIA. According to the British daily The Times, the company is no longer allowed to export its advanced artificial intelligence chips to China. CEO Jensen Huang severely criticized U.S. policy and warned that export restrictions could jeopardize America's leadership in the field of artificial intelligence. He believes that China already possesses artificial intelligence capabilities, and isolating the Chinese market will only accelerate the development of its own technology. NVIDIA's sales in China have plummeted and are expected to decline further in the coming quarters. The company is considering expanding operations in other regions to offset the impact of export restrictions.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833684473905161/

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