The US government has granted permission for South Korean firms Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to acquire advanced manufacturing equipment for their semiconductor plants in mainland China. This move is expected to pose challenges for domestic memory chip manufacturers in China, such as Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC).
The waiver is expected to provide significant benefits to these firms, stabilizing their market share and enabling them to maintain their competitive edge in China’s semiconductor supply chain. China currently holds about one-third of the worldwide market share for NAND flash memory and DRAM.
The waiver is expected to provide advantages for suppliers of sophisticated chip manufacturing equipment and materials while placing Chinese memory chip manufacturers, such as YMTC, at a disadvantage. During the second quarter, Samsung experienced a 95% decline in profits due to a subdued global market for memory chips. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the largest contract chip maker globally, had previously obtained a one-year authorization from the US government to sustain its operations in mainland China without additional licensing obligations.
The Biden administration’s recent decision to exclude China from export restrictions on chip-making equipment to mainland China has resulted in a significant disadvantage for Chinese chip manufacturers like YMTC. The US Department of Commerce imposed these restrictions in October last year, leading to YMTC establishing stronger connections with local tool suppliers to substitute US components in its production equipment.
As a result, American suppliers have stopped working with the company. The US decision to exclude China from export restrictions on sophisticated semiconductor equipment has several justifications, particularly for South Korean companies Samsung and Hynix. The anticipated US waiver is expected to benefit both companies in the global semiconductor industry’s largest market. However, the actions have placed Chinese memory chip manufacturers like YMTC at a disadvantage in their market. The US seeks to maintain its strategic partnership with South Korea, viewing it as a pivotal partner in the region and a significant market for American products.
The US has granted a waiver to Samsung and Hynix, two major semiconductor chip manufacturers, to maintain their operations in China. This move demonstrates the US’s support for South Korea’s economic and security objectives and aims to protect the worldwide availability of semiconductors. The waiver also helps Samsung and Hynix maintain their competitive edge over their Chinese rivals, YMTC, who are subject to US export restrictions and penalties.
The US sees China’s growing semiconductor industry as a potential threat to its military and technical dominance, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. The US may also worry about disruptions in the global supply chain of semiconductors, potentially impacting the military capabilities of the US and its allies.
Economically, the US may see increased rivalry from China within the semiconductor industry, potentially affecting its financial gains and technological advancement capacity. The US may need to balance its interests and values with those of its friends and partners, who may have different perspectives and stakes in China’s semiconductor sector.
For example, the US may need to collaborate with South Korea and Taiwan, major manufacturers and exporters of semiconductor chips to China, while also establishing collaboration with Europe and Japan, both of which have significant positions in the semiconductor industry.
The US may gain a competitive advantage in the semiconductor industry by imposing limitations on China, which could hinder China’s progress in sophisticated chips and chipmaking equipment. This could hinder China’s technical and military capabilities during the current conflict. The US can use its semiconductor industry position to gain support from friends and partners while exerting pressure on China.
However, if these limitations have an adverse effect, China may intensify its investments in the local semiconductor sector, leading to self-sufficiency and innovation. The US may also face retaliatory measures from China, including cyberattacks, which could negatively impact the US economy and national security. Mitigating the US-China chip war may be possible through balanced and calibrated limits, and the US can collaborate with its allies in the Indo-Pacific region and engage in constructive discussions to develop shared standards and norms within the semiconductor industry.
