Japan announced on Friday it will tighten export controls for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment to prevent military diversion, a move that will follow similar steps adopted by the US.
The government will revise the ordinance of the Foreign Exchange Law to add 23 items to the list of export control targets, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said, adding that prior approval from the minister will be required for exports.
“It is not intended for any specific country. We will strengthen our efforts to confirm that there are no concerns about military use,” Nishimura told a press conference.
“We want to fulfill our responsibilities to the international community as a country with advanced technology,” the minister added.
However, under the plan, individual approval will be required for exports of the 23 devices to 160 countries and regions — including China and Russia — while 42 countries and regions on the whitelist — such as the US, South Korea, and Taiwan — will be excluded from the restriction.
The 23 items include manufacturing equipment for extreme ultraviolet related products and the machine to produce semiconductor films, the ministry said, adding that the restrictions is expected to go into effect in July after soliciting public comments.
The US, which has already tightened export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other items used for supercomputers and artificial intelligence (AI) for China, asked Japan and the Netherlands, both hold a dominant share in the global chip manufacturing equipment market, to follow suit.
Source: Kuwait News Agency