U.S. preparing to force Netherlands to ban ASML from selling to China

Thursday, 20 August 2026 - 08:38

The Dutch company ASML, as basically the only company in the world that makes the lithography machines used to produce the most complex microchips, has again become a geopolitical pawn. The United States government is preparing to force the Netherlands to ban ASML from selling almost any chip-making machines to China, NU.nl reports.

The Americans want to slow the Chinese advance in the field of AI and supercomputers by restricting the country’s access to advanced chips. According to the U.S. government, this will also curb the development of the Chinese military.

Under severe American pressure, the Dutch government has already restricted ASML from selling its extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines and the more advanced versions of its older-generation deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) machines to Chinese customers.

A bill, the Match Act, is currently before the U.S. Congress that would turn that pressure into direct coercion. The bill aims to force allies to adopt the U.S.’s export policy for sensitive technologies.

That would ban ASML from also selling its older DUV machines to China, which it is currently allowed to do. The Dutch company would also not be allowed to maintain the machines already delivered to China. If the Netherlands refuses to enforce this ban on ASML, the U.S. can impose sanctions.

ASML is also dependent on American suppliers for its own production. In the past, American threats to disrupt the company’s supply chain have successfully convinced the Dutch government to further restrict ASML’s exports.

Dutch government officials are fiercely lobbying in Washington to get the Match Act off the table, but their chances seem slim. Both the Republicans and Democrats support the proposal, which is on track to be added to the U.S. defense budget. That budget is almost always adopted.

NU.nl noted that, under the Match Act, American companies would still be allowed to sell their most advanced chip etching machines to Chinese customers. China has discovered that, using these etching techniques and DUV machines, they could produce chips that typically require an EUV machine.

The U.S. government restricted the sale of these etching machines in 2024, but did not implement a far-reaching export ban. The Match Act initially included such a ban, but that was removed from the bill. The ban on ASML exporting DUV machines to China still stands.