"US Expands Semiconductor Export Sanctions Against Russia... Targeting Chinese Companies"

The United States is reportedly planning to expand semiconductor export controls against Russia, according to major foreign media on the 11th (local time).

According to Bloomberg News, the U.S. government plans to announce on the 12th an expansion of export regulations to block the inflow of semiconductors produced not only in the U.S. but also in foreign countries such as China into Russia.

John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Coordinator, said, "To continue increasing the cost of Russia's war, we will announce influential new sanctions and export bans this week."

The U.S. has banned semiconductor exports to Russia since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022, due to concerns that semiconductors could be used in military supplies such as drones and missiles. However, since Russia began to recover its military strength in the Ukraine war from the end of last year, the U.S. government has judged that Russia’s procurement of strategic materials, especially semiconductors, primarily from China, was effective in reversing the tide of the war.

Accordingly, there is an analysis that the scope of sanctions has been expanded to effectively target companies within China. It is expected that in the future, even if products are not manufactured in the U.S., they will be subject to sanctions if they bear a U.S. brand.

Japan has also announced sanctions against Russia with a similar approach to the U.S. According to local NHK, the Japanese government is considering new sanctions targeting Chinese domestic companies and third-country entities that appear to provide materials that could be used for military purposes to Russia.

The European Union (EU) is also reportedly preparing new sanctions against Russia. According to major foreign media, the EU is discussing sanctions on third-country banks that enable Russia to access international transactions without going through the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system.

Sanctions against Russia led by the free world are likely to provoke strong opposition from China as well.

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