Senior US lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to further tighten export controls on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China, citing growing national security concerns.
In a bipartisan letter sent Tuesday (10), House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to implement broader, countrywide restrictions on critical chipmaking tools. They warned that existing gaps in export controls are allowing China to accelerate its domestic semiconductor ambitions.
“We urge the Administration to press allies to implement countrywide controls on key chokepoint semiconductor manufacturing equipment and subcomponents — that is, all equipment and subcomponents that China cannot produce indigenously,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter was also signed by House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks and several members of the South and Central Asia Subcommittee. In addition to restricting new exports, the lawmakers called for tighter limits on servicing and maintaining equipment already installed in Chinese semiconductor fabrication plants. They argued that continued maintenance support is essential to keeping advanced chipmaking tools operational.
Lawmakers requested a formal briefing within the next month outlining the administration’s strategy for coordinating with allies to impose sweeping controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and related components.
The push comes as China appears to be making technological gains despite U.S.-led efforts to curb its access to advanced chipmaking capabilities. While Beijing still faces major hurdles — particularly in replicating the precision optical systems produced by Western firms — recent developments have raised alarms in Washington.
In December, Reuters reported that Chinese scientists in a high-security Shenzhen lab had developed a prototype lithography machine modeled on ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems. EUV technology is essential for producing the most advanced chips used in artificial intelligence, smartphones, and military applications.
U.S. lawmakers say stronger coordination with allies is critical to preventing further breakthroughs.
