The presidents of two key committees of the United States House of Representatives urged the Departments of State and Commerce on Tuesday to tighten export restrictions on advanced equipment for semiconductor manufacturing to China, warning that current gaps in controls put national security at risk.
In a bipartisan letter addressed to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, the president of the Select Committee on China, John Moolenaar, and the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, requested the imposition of comprehensive restrictions coordinated with allies on machinery and critical components that China can't produce by itself.
The letter was also signed by the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, as well as by several members of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia.
John Moolenaar, presidente del Comité Selecto sobre China
The lawmakers warned that Beijing has accelerated the import of foreign equipment that is essential for the production of advanced chips, taking advantage of regulatory loopholes and differences in the enforcement of controls between countries.
In this context, they asked the U.S. Administration to step up diplomatic pressure on its partners to implement "nationwide" controls on key semiconductor manufacturing tools and their subcomponents, which are considered critical points in the technological supply chain.
In addition to limiting new exports, the members of Congress requested restrictions on the maintenance and technical support of equipment already installed in Chinese plants. They argued that ongoing service is essential for these machines to operate with the required precision, so allowing their upgrade or repair could weaken the effectiveness of current restrictions.
El Congreso solicitó a Marco Rubio a imponer restricciones sobre China y trabajar con aliados para esto
The letter also asks the Administration of President Donald Trump to present, within one month, a detailed report on its strategy to secure allies' cooperation in the implementation of broad and coordinated controls.
International coordination is seen as an essential element, given that companies in Europe and Asia supply critical technology for the global semiconductor industry.
The Congress's call comes amid signs that China is achieving technological advances that Washington has tried to slow for years.
Although Beijing still faces major technical challenges, especially in replicating high-precision optical systems produced by Western suppliers, it was reported in December that Chinese scientists developed in a Shenzhen laboratory a prototype machine inspired by the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment of Dutch firm ASML, technology that is indispensable for manufacturing the most advanced chips used in artificial intelligence, smartphones, and military applications.
El Congreso solicitó a Trump que elabore un informe sobre las medidas a tomar para con Pekín
For the lawmakers, these developments underscore the urgency of closing any gaps in export controls. They maintain that advanced semiconductors are a pillar of the economic competitiveness and strategic superiority of the United States, and that allowing unrestricted access to critical production tools could have far-reaching consequences.
The initiative reflects a growing consensus in Washington on the need to adopt a firm stance in the face of technological competition with China, reinforcing the protection of strategic sectors for national security and global stability.
