China s equipment imports reached a record breaking 40 billion

Source: Semiconductor chip news

    According to Bloomberg‘s calculations based on official customs data, the import value of equipment used to manufacture computer chips in China increased by 14% in 2023, reaching nearly 40 billion US dollars, the second largest recorded import value since 2015. Although the total import volume decreased by 5.5% last year, this growth still highlights the importance that the Chinese government and the Chinese chip industry attach to achieving self-sufficiency.

    Chinese chip companies are rapidly investing in new semiconductor factories in an effort to enhance national capabilities. Due to export restrictions, it has become more difficult for Chinese companies to obtain the equipment needed to manufacture the most powerful chips, and has slowed down the development of China‘s high-tech industry, which is seen as a threat to the United States.

    Last year, before the introduction of new export control measures, China‘s imports from the Netherlands surged. In December, due to companies rushing to purchase lithography equipment from the Netherlands before implementing restrictions this month, the import of lithography equipment from the Netherlands surged by nearly 1000% compared to the same period last year, reaching $1.1 billion.

    According to Bloomberg earlier this month, even before these restrictions came into effect, Dutch company ASML Holding NV had already cancelled shipments of some top-level equipment to China at the request of the US government. A few weeks before the ban on exporting high-end chip manufacturing equipment came into effect, ASML cancelled shipments to China.