Netherlands ASML: "US-China Semiconductor Supply Chain Separation Impossible"

"Decoupling Extremely Difficult and Requires Significant Investment"

As the United States, the European Union (EU), and China accelerate efforts to achieve semiconductor supply chain independence, the management of Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML has pointed out that "decoupling the semiconductor supply chain is practically impossible."

According to Japan's Nihon Keizai on the 28th, Christoph Pueke, ASML's Senior Vice President of EUV, recently stated in an interview with the media that regarding the global semiconductor supply chain decoupling movement, "We do not believe that decoupling is possible. We believe decoupling will be extremely difficult and very costly."

He added, "It is only a matter of time before people realize that cooperation is the only way to succeed in semiconductors," and said, "The idea of doing everything independently is probably a very difficult concept."

This statement came amid the overheated semiconductor hegemony competition between the U.S. and China, and as major countries such as the EU and Japan are pouring subsidies to build domestic semiconductor supply chains. It emphasized that cooperation, rather than decoupling, is much more effective in the semiconductor supply chain.

ASML is the world's largest lithography equipment company and exclusively produces extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment essential for semiconductor fine processes. Vice President Pueke mentioned that ASML's success is the result of long-term cooperation with companies possessing lithography technology such as Germany's Zeiss and the U.S.'s Cymer, as well as support from semiconductor companies like Taiwan's TSMC and the U.S.'s Intel.

He explained, "We prefer to use the best suppliers," adding, "This is much more effective and allows us to move faster."

In the global semiconductor industry, decoupling is actively taking place centered on the United States. Through the CHIPS and Science Act (CSA), the U.S. plans to inject massive subsidies into semiconductor companies investing domestically. To curb China's semiconductor rise, it is controlling exports of ASML's advanced equipment to China and is also attempting to limit the semiconductor production capabilities of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in China. Early next month, measures will be implemented requiring prior approval from the U.S. government for exporting semiconductors used for artificial intelligence (AI) development to China.

Some argue that even if the U.S. pursues a "de-risking" strategy to eliminate risks from China, it should strengthen cooperation with allied countries at the center of the semiconductor supply chain, such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.