China stockpiles ASML lithography tools, spurring US calls for complete export ban
Chinese semiconductor plants amassed hundreds of immersion lithography machines worth billions of dollars in recent years, according to former US officials, who urged Washington and its allies to shut down further exports. Chinese-owned fabs had acquired an estimated 343 immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems by early 2026, said a report published in late September by the Centre for…
China has amassed hundreds of immersion lithography machines, valued at billions of dollars, from ASML, according to a report by the Centre for Technology & Statecraft (CTS). These machines, primarily the ASML Twinscan NXT:1980i, have been crucial for Chinese chipmakers to produce sophisticated semiconductors, despite being technically behind the EUV lithography tools that China is barred from purchasing.
The report highlights that Chinese fabs spent over $13 billion acquiring these machines in 2024 and 2025, accounting for significant portions of ASML's net system sales to China. Experts urge Washington and its allies to enforce a complete export ban on immersion DUV tools to China, citing the loophole in the current licensing system that allows repurposing or relocating such tools to advanced production lines.
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