US to Issue More China Chip Controls as Early as April, Report Says

The U.S. is planning more export restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing items destined to China and could publish them as early as next month, Bloomberg reported March 10. The new restrictions could “double the number of machines” that require export licenses, the report said, placing new controls on Applied Materials and other chip equipment makers. The Biden administration plans to coordinate the new restrictions with the Netherlands and Japan, but “doesn’t plan to water down its plans if those other nations adopt weaker guidelines,” the report said.

A spokesperson for the Bureau of Industry and Security declined to comment, and the White House didn't respond to a request for comment. BIS in October announced a sweeping set of license restrictions targeting China’s chip industry (see 2210070049), and the Netherlands last week outlined plans to adopt new controls for advanced semiconductor production equipment (see 2303090032).