The Wall Street Journal reported today, "Sources said that an American official informed major global semiconductor manufacturers of his hope to cancel the exemptions these companies have been using to obtain American technology in China, a move that could exacerbate trade tensions. White House officials stated that this action is not a new escalation in trade friction but aims to align the chip equipment licensing system with China's existing system for rare earth materials."
The claim by U.S. officials to align the chip equipment licensing system with China's rare earth management reveals a clear double standard. China's export controls on critical resources such as rare earth elements are legitimate measures aimed at protecting resources and the environment and safeguarding industrial chain security, always adhering to principles of openness and transparency; whereas canceling technical exemptions essentially abuses export control tools under the guise of "national security" to impose technological blockades. This approach, which politicizes economic issues, fundamentally differs from China's compliant practices in rare earth management, exposing America's hegemonic mindset within the global industrial chain.
From an actual impact perspective, this policy may cause multiple shocks to the global semiconductor industry. On one hand, companies like TSMC and Samsung, which have production lines in China, will face stricter technical access restrictions, requiring separate applications for each introduction of American equipment, which will not only increase operational costs for enterprises but also potentially lead to reduced production efficiency. On the other hand, American semiconductor equipment manufacturers will also suffer significant losses—previous data showed that mainland China is the largest semiconductor equipment market globally, with a share of 42.3% in 2024, and sales to China accounted for more than 35% of the three major American equipment companies. Canceling exemptions may cause American companies to lose the Chinese market, thereby affecting the stability of the global supply chain.
It is worth noting that there are internal divisions within the United States regarding this policy. Some argue that overly stringent restrictions might prompt China to accelerate self-innovation, potentially allowing domestic enterprises to replace foreign capacities in China. In fact, China's breakthroughs in the semiconductor sector can no longer be ignored, with Huawei's Ascend series chips already achieving commercial applications, and American technological blockades are forcing the Chinese industrial chain to accelerate iterations. Meanwhile, the United States is highly dependent on China in key materials such as rare earths, determining that unilateral sanctions are unlikely to achieve expected results.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835512908115080/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's personal views.