WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. will make it more difficult for global chipmakers Samsung, SK Hynix ( HXSCF ) and Intel ( INTC ) to produce chips in China by revoking permission for the companies to receive American semiconductor manufacturing equipment there, according to the Federal Register.

The U.S. Commerce Department had granted the authorizations for the companies to make chips in China as exceptions to sweeping restrictions on the sale of semiconductor equipment to China in 2022.

The companies will now need to obtain licenses to buy the equipment in China.

The licensing change will likely reduce sales to China by U.S. equipment makers KLA Corp ( KLAC ), Lam Research ( LRCX ) and Applied Materials ( AMAT ). The move may help domestic Chinese equipment makers, whose tools can fill gaps. They also may help Micron, a major U.S. competitor to South Korea's Samsung and SK Hynix ( HXSCF ) in the memory chip sector. The authorizations will not take effect for 120 days, according to the posting.

Intel ( INTC ) sold its Dalian NAND memory manufacturing facility in China to Seoul-based SK Hynix ( HXSCF ) several years ago, but continued to manufacture wafers into 2025.