11:49 AM EDT, 06/20/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with additional details throughout.)

A US official has told major global chipmakers that he wanted to revoke waivers that allow them to ship US chip-making equipment to their factories in China without individual licenses, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Jeffrey Kessler, who heads a unit in charge of export controls at the Commerce Department, told the companies that removing the waivers is part of the Trump administration's broader push to limit China's access to critical US technology, the report said.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, along with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) , currently have waivers that let them ship US chip-making equipment to their factories in China without needing to apply for individual licenses each time, according to the report.

"Chip makers will still be able to operate in China. The new enforcement mechanisms on chips mirror licensing requirements that apply to other semiconductor companies that export to China and ensure the United States has an equal and reciprocal process," a Commerce Department spokesman said, according to the Journal.

A decision to revoke the waivers has not been finalized, the report said.

South Korean and Taiwanese chipmakers have alerted their governments about the potential loss of U.S. waivers and are seeking support to oppose the move, according to people familiar with the talks. Both countries are currently negotiating broader trade deals with the US, which the Trump administration aims to finalize soon, the report said.

The US Commerce Department, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) didn't immediately reply to MT Newswires' requests for comments.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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