During a visit to Washington, the Dutch economy minister highlighted the importance of China as a trading partner and reiterated that ASML should be allowed to “do business as freely as possible.”
During his visit to Washington on Monday (23), the Dutch economy minister highlighted the relevance of China as a trading partner and reiterated that the Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML must be able to “do business as freely as possible”.
Dirk Beljaarts explained that his meeting with US Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves was aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, not negotiating export restrictions, something that is not his responsibility.
Beljaarts’ visit comes ahead of an expected expansion of U.S. restrictions on semiconductor exports to certain chip factories in China.
ASML is the world’s leading supplier of computer chip manufacturing equipment. Earlier this month, the Dutch government began requiring export licenses for more ASML products destined for China, following pressure from the United States.
While the US is an important ally and trading partner of the Netherlands, ASML’s largest markets include Taiwan, China and South Korea.
“The Chinese are a relevant trading partner, as are the United States and many other countries around the world, and we need to ensure that our economy remains strong and that our companies can operate as freely as possible,” Beljaarts said.
“We know that ASML is one of the greatest jewels of our economy, something we are very proud of, and from our point of view it is crucial that the company can operate as freely as possible within the established limits. The main topic discussed was how we can further advance cooperation between the two countries.”
With information from Reuters and South China Morning Post*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/09/24/holanda-tenta-convencer-eua-a-liberar-comercio-entre-asml-e-china/
