March 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government is urging the
Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Japan to further tighten
curbs on China's access to semiconductor technology, Bloomberg
News reported on Wednesday.
The U.S. wants Japanese companies to limit exports to China
of specialized chemicals required for chipmaking, including
photoresist, the report said citing people familiar with the
matter.
Washington is also pressing the Netherlands to stop
semiconductor equipment maker ASML from servicing and
repairing chipmaking equipment for Chinese clients bought before
limits on sales of those devices were put in place this year, a
source familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming part of
the Bloomberg report.
Tokyo and The Hague want to assess the impact of their
current curbs before considering tougher actions, the report
said, adding that the U.S. Commerce Department officials raised
the issue in Tokyo during a meeting on export controls last
month.
The Dutch foreign ministry declined to comment on the
report, while the U.S. Commerce Department did not respond to a
request for comment.
An official at Japan's industry ministry said the ministry
routinely discusses export controls with relevant countries.
ASML could not be immediately reached for comment.
American officials had earlier expressed particular concerns
about China's ability to employ advanced chips, and the powerful
processors they enable, for its fast-growing military.