The Netherlands has intensified diplomatic efforts urging the United States to drop export restrictions on ASML, a critical supplier of advanced chipmaking equipment. The move underscores growing tensions between allies over semiconductor trade controls designed to limit China's access to cutting-edge technology.
ASML, based in Veldhoven, holds a near-monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines essential for producing the most advanced chips. The US curbs, part of a broader campaign to contain China's semiconductor ambitions, have restricted ASML from selling its top-tier tools to Chinese buyers without a license.