Japan to Restrict Exports of Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

[T0@st]

The Japanese government, on Friday March 31, announced that it plans to place restrictions on its export of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This follows similar efforts announced by other nations, including the USA and the Netherlands. In a news conference, the Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Yasutoshi Nishimura stated: "We are fulfilling our responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability." The press release makes no mention of a trade battle between the USA or China, but the implication is that METI is limiting the latter's access to Japan's most advanced chip making equipment.

Nishimura-san continues: "If our exports are not being re-appropriated for military use, we will continue exporting. We believe the impact on companies will be limited." The U.S. government has called on its allies to prevent China's access to semiconductor manufacturing technology in order to slowdown domestic technological and military advancement. Japan and the Netherlands have previously agreed, back in January of this year, to restrict exports to China of equipment that could be used to churn out sub-14 nm chips.



Japan is home to several high-end makers of chip manufacturing equipment including Nikon Corp and Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL). These companies offer products ranging from tools which are used to clean silicon wafers to immersion lithography machines, and the Japanese government is seeking to begin restrictions of these types of equipment in July. The mid-summer target is to place export controls on six categories of equipment used in chip manufacturing, including cleaning, deposition, lithography and etching. Multiple Japanese equipment makers have stated that they will comply with the new set of rules, even though there is a risk of their equipment sales declining.



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[Deleted member 185088]

We are fulfilling our responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability.

So they'll export to the Vatican only.

 

[Chaitanya]

So they'll export to the Vatican only.

They are probably the worst place when it comes to human rights record. They helped Nazis in holocaust, and even helped many in escaping to South America which is just the tip of iceberg.

 

[Easo]

They are probably the worst place when it comes to human rights record. They helped Nazis in holocaust, and even helped many in escaping to South America which is just the tip of iceberg.

A bit too far to dig into history, no? And what were they supposed to do? Have couple hundred Swiss guards die and pope arrested? Yeah, great, what then?
“The pope! How many divisions has he got?”

This case is about keeping China behind and Russia down, nothing else.

 

[Suspecto]

They are probably the worst place when it comes to human rights record. They helped Nazis in holocaust, and even helped many in escaping to South America which is just the tip of iceberg.

Oh no, they helped Nazis, just like Red Cross, Switzerland and many others who later even employed them. Definitely worse than The Nazi Germany, The Japan Empire and etc.







But back to the topic. Capitalism for me, but not for you. Yeah, European, US, Japan armies use some magic chips made on a different planet in their armies and equipment. God, these excuses are pathetic.

 

[Wirko]

China to the West: We have a modest stock of neon gas set aside just for you, tell us if you need any.

 

[SOAREVERSOR]

Oh no, they helped Nazis, just like Red Cross, Switzerland and many others who later even employed them. Definitely worse than The Nazi Germany, The Japan Empire and etc.







But back to the topic. Capitalism for me, but not for you. Yeah, European, US, Japan armies use some magic chips made on a different planet in their armies and equipment. God, these excuses are pathetic.

China's issue is rampant IP theft and nobody gives a damn about their human rights abuses.

 

[watzupken]

All these restrictions will not help. You will surely see a tit for tat response from the sanctioned nations. For China, the world is highly dependent on them for rare earth. So I won't be surprised they will also restrict key produce.

 

[Minus Infinity]

All these restrictions will not help. You will surely see a tit for tat response from the sanctioned nations. For China, the world is highly dependent on them for rare earth. So I won't be surprised they will also restrict key produce.

China has been limiting exports of many rare earths for years. Finally countries like US and Australia are ramping up their own rare earth mining. Australia has increased production 10 fold in a few years and will continue to ramp up production. They are already at about 13% of China's production. Also Western Austrlai is home to huge amount of rare earths and new government has prioritised their mining and processing. US is pouring tens of $billions into rare earth manufacturing/processing etc.

 

[R-T-B]

A bit too far to dig into history, no?

No.

WW2 is very relevant and not "too deep in history" at all.

 

[Easo]

No.

WW2 is very relevant and not "too deep in history" at all.

Everyone who held any important command in WW2 is long dead. In about 10 years or so last veterans will be as well.
It looks like searching for sins of fathers and we should never go there. And this, as we already talked about, is purely about current politics.

 

[R-T-B]

Everyone who held any important command in WW2 is long dead. In about 10 years or so last veterans will be as well.
It looks like searching for sins of fathers and we should never go there. And this, as we already talked about, is purely about current politics.

No lessons, eh? Let's just do it all again. /s

That must be why I see so much appeasement and isolationist rhetoric on TPU. Now it all makes sense.

 

[NoneRain]

Yeah, this is a kick in China's balls for sure.

 

[Easo]

No lessons, eh? Let's just do it all again. /s

That must be why I see so much appeasement and isolationist rhetoric on TPU. Now it all makes sense.

I would argue that what is currently happening is anything but appeasment (and I partially agree with show of force) and a lot of people are directly arguing against being isolationists - which is what this policy (and others regarding Taiwan, Netherlands, USA) is about - to attempt to isolate China from reaching current cutting edge tech and keeping Russia even further away. I can also say that the second part will fail as, for the 'nth time - you cannot keep a nation of 1.4 billion down (which I am pretty sure scares a lot of decision makers in West, with added nightmares like India starting to demand their due).

 

[R-T-B]

I would argue that what is currently happening is anything but appeasment

To be fair, I didn't say it was. It's not. What is appeasement is a lot of internet theories about how we SHOULD be doing things. ("just ignore it etc")