Chip‑tool Push: U. S. Lawmakers Face China’s Memory Rise

Micron, a leading U. S. memory‑chip maker, has urged Congress to tighten rules that limit the sale of advanced equipment to Chinese competitors. The company argues that stronger action is needed so China cannot dominate the memory‑chip sector, much like it has in solar technology and other industries. Micron’s stance comes amid concerns that China’s chip production could threaten national security. The Chinese firms at the center of this debate are YMTC and CXMT. Both companies have grown quickly, even though U. S. export restrictions target them. YMTC has been on a restricted trade list since 2022, while CXMT’s cutting‑edge facilities face U. S. curbs that limit foreign technology access. Micron says it would also need to secure licenses for companies such as ASML to service equipment in Chinese facilities. Micron has been active in Washington. Its CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, recently held closed‑door meetings with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a similar session with Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee. These talks aimed to shape legislation that would curb technology transfers to China.Other chip‑tool suppliers are also lobbying. Tokyo Electron, Lam Research, Applied Materials and KLA have expressed concerns that export controls could hurt their sales. The Commerce Department highlighted a meeting between ASML’s CEO Christophe Fouquet and Secretary Howard Lutnick, underscoring the high‑level attention on this issue. The proposed MATCH Act is one of several bills slated for a House Foreign Affairs vote. The package targets the Commerce Department’s licensing processes, enforcement mechanisms and penalties for violations. A House staffer described it as the most significant legislative effort in this area since 2018’s Export Control Reform Act. Kate Koren, a former Commerce Department official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Congress is signaling that the Bureau of Industry and Security has been underperforming. She noted that the bureau had paused new restrictions during a trade‑talk lull with China, raising doubts about its effectiveness. If the MATCH Act passes, it would be a preliminary step toward becoming law. A companion bill in the Senate could eventually merge with the National Defense Authorization Act, further tightening export controls.