US Lawmakers Urge Tighter Curbs on China Chip Tools
U.S. lawmakers are pressing for stricter export controls to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, warning that existing gaps pose risks to national security. In a bipartisan letter, senior members of the House called on the State and Commerce Departments to pursue broader, countrywide restrictions in coordination with allied nations.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast urged tighter controls on key chipmaking tools and subcomponents that China cannot produce domestically. The letter was addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and called for restrictions not only on new equipment sales but also on servicing existing tools operating in Chinese facilities.
Lawmakers argue that maintenance and software updates are critical for advanced chipmaking systems to remain operational, and limiting such support could slow China’s semiconductor progress. The request comes amid concerns that Beijing is accelerating imports of foreign-made equipment essential for producing high-end chips.
The debate has intensified following reports that Chinese researchers have developed a prototype lithography machine modeled on extreme ultraviolet systems produced by ASML. EUV lithography tools are considered crucial for manufacturing the most advanced chips used in artificial intelligence, smartphones, and defense systems.
Congressional leaders have asked the administration to provide a strategy briefing within a month outlining how it plans to secure allied cooperation on expanded export controls. The move reflects growing bipartisan consensus in Washington that semiconductor supply chains remain a central front in U.S.–China technological competition.