U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has raised concerns with ASML in a series of discussions that an EUV lithography machine may have reached China. This would violate U.S. export restrictions. ASML strongly denies this and says it has never delivered an EUV machine to China.
Bloomberg reports this. The discussions took place during a series of bilateral meetings between Lutnick and executives from the Dutch chip equipment manufacturer. The concerns stem from the U.S. ban on exporting EUV systems to China for years. ASML holds a monopoly on the production of EUV machines, the world’s most advanced lithography systems used to etch the smallest chip structures onto silicon.
ASML Denies Allegations
ASML itself has dismissed Washington’s concerns. The company notes that EUV machines are produced in limited numbers and require ongoing maintenance by ASML employees. The most advanced EUV systems are as large as a school bus and weigh 180 metric tons—not the kind of machine that can be moved unnoticed.
“ASML has never shipped an EUV machine to China nor have we shipped to China any component, module or equipment specially designed to be used in an EUV machine,” an ASML spokesperson told Bloomberg.
Escalating Export Dispute with Washington
Lutnick’s accusations come at a time when the U.S. is further tightening export restrictions on ASML. In April 2026, U.S. lawmakers introduced the MATCH Act, a bill that would also ban the export of DUV immersion machines and the servicing of existing machines in China. This goes a step further than the current situation, in which EUV is already banned but ASML is still permitted to supply DUV machines to a limited extent.
Former CEO Peter Wennink previously stated that ASML has already made significant concessions: EUV exports to China have been banned for years, even though that segment accounts for half of the company’s revenue. China recently accounted for 36 percent of system sales, but that share dropped to 19 percent in the first quarter of 2026 due to stricter controls.
Diplomatic pressure is mounting. Lutnick’s talks with ASML are taking place as the U.S. is pressuring allies, such as the Netherlands, not to renew export licenses for existing DUV machines bound for China. ASML states that it complies with all laws and regulations.
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