The US government has granted Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix annual licences allowing them to ship chipmaking equipment to their facilities in China for 2026, according to people familiar with the matter.
The move provides temporary relief for the South Korean firms after Washington earlier revoked broad licence waivers previously extended to some technology companies.
Under the new framework, the US has introduced an annual approval system for exports of semiconductor manufacturing tools to China.
Samsung, SK Hynix and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company had previously benefited from exemptions under the “validated end user” status, which allowed shipments without case-by-case licensing.
That status is set to expire on Dec 31, after which exports of US chipmaking equipment to their China-based plants will require individual licences.
The policy shift comes as President Donald Trump’s administration reviews export controls it views as overly permissive under the previous administration, as part of efforts to curb China’s access to advanced US technology.
Samsung and SK Hynix both rely on China as a key production base for legacy memory chips, a segment that has seen rising prices amid strong demand from AI data centres and tighter global supply.
Reuters
