Micron pushes US Congress to crack down on chip tool sales to Chinese rivals, sources say 

By Karen Freifeld

April 22(Reuters) - Micron Technology, the largest U.S. representation chipmaker, is simply a driving unit pushing the U.S. Congress to walk authorities that would enactment caller export restrictions connected instrumentality its Chinese competitors usage to marque their chips, according to radical acquainted with the ‌matter.

A U.S. House of Representatives sheet connected Wednesday is acceptable to ballot connected the "MATCH Act," a measure designed to adjacent gaps successful restrictions connected ‌chipmaking equipment. It would besides unit overseas companies that merchantability instrumentality to Chinese chipmaking facilities to align with export curbs connected U.S. companies similar Lam Research and Applied Materials.

The measure targets facilities operated ​by China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC), and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, arsenic good arsenic captious exertion countrywide.

Micron has told lawmakers that Washington needs to bash much to inhibit Chinese improvement successful the representation market, according to radical acquainted with the matter. They said accrued U.S. enactment is indispensable to forestall China from dominating representation spot manufacturing the mode it has the star vigor manufacture and different sectors, and is simply a nationalist information issue.

Micron did not respond to requests for comment. CXMT, YMTC ‌and SMIC did not respond to requests for comment.

Korean chipmakers Samsung ⁠Electronics and SK Hynix present predominate the representation market, with Micron the No. 3 shaper and sole large U.S. supplier.

But YMTC and CXMT are increasing fast, contempt curbs connected exports to them imposed by the U.S. Commerce Department.

YMTC has been connected ⁠a restricted commercialized database since 2022. CXMT's precocious facilities person been taxable to U.S. export curbs.

The measure arsenic present drafted would restrict much instrumentality from going to China -- including DUV immersion machines countrywide, a marketplace dominated by Netherlands' ASML -- and legislate however to enforce restrictions if diplomacy fails.

It besides would necessitate a licence for ASML and different overseas companies ​to ​service instrumentality astatine covered facilities.

Micron representatives person engaged with lawmakers passim the drafting process, sources ​said. They added that astir a period ago, Micron CEO ‌Sanjay Mehrotra held a closed-door roundtable with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

He held a akin roundtable past period with Republicans connected the Senate Banking Committee, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter.

Micron, based successful Boise, Idaho, is gathering a megafacility successful New York. Other companies successful the manufacture are besides lobbying connected the bill, said 1 source, citing Tokyo Electron and U.S. toolmakers Lam Research, Applied Materials and KLA, who suffer income from export controls.