Japan's chip equipment makers in the dark about new China export restrictions (updated)

Hoya

30/01/2023 07:12

(Adds detail, comments; updates share prices)
       TOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Japanese makers of
semiconductor manufacturing machinery and materials used to make
chips said on Monday they had yet to hear from Japan's
government about export restrictions that could directly or
indirectly affect their business in China.
    Reuters contacted 10 chip-related companies, of which five -
Advantest Corp  6857.T , Nikon Corp  7731.T , Resonac Holdings
Corp  4004.T , Lasertec Corp  6920.T  and Shin-Etsu Chemical Co
Ltd  4063.T  - said they were unaware of any contact from
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry about any new
restrictions reportedly agreed by Japan, the United States and
the Netherlands last week to stymie rival China's technological
advancement.
    "As we do not know what the situation is, we cannot comment
on what the impact is and what our response will be," said a
spokesman for Advantest, which makes chip-testing machines and
other chip-related equipment.
    Past restrictions on advanced semiconductor shipments to
China have not affected Japan because the country, which once
dominated global chip manufacturing, now only makes around a
10th of the world's semiconductors, most of them less advanced
than the chips made by the likes of Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC)  2330.TW  and South Korea's Samsung
Electronics Co Ltd  005930.KS .
    Japan, however, is a major supplier of machines used to make
those leading-edge semiconductors that could come under
restrictions following reports Washington and other governments
had agreed on a deal to curb their exports to China.
    "South Korea has constantly beaten Japan in semiconductors
all these years, but one thing they don't have is steppers,"
which are used to project electronic circuits on to silicon
plates, said Tokai Tokyo Research Institute analyst Masahiko
Ishino. Without knowing the details of any new restrictions it
is impossible to know their impact, he said.
    Dutch company ASML Holding NV  ASML.AS , a key supplier to
chipmakers, said on Saturday it "understood" that progress had
been made towards an agreement among several governments.
        Its statement followed a Bloomberg report that the
United States had secured a deal with the Netherlands and Japan.
    The five other Japanese firms Reuters contacted did not
respond when asked about the possible impact of tighter export
rules and whether they were concerned China would retaliate.
Among them was Tokyo Electron Ltd  8035.T , Japan's biggest
semiconductor manufacturing machinery maker.
    Shares of Japanese semiconductor equipment makers were
mostly flat on Monday, with Tokyo Electron up 0.68% while
Advantest Corp  6857.T  fell 0.32%. Nikon Corp  7731.T  was up
0.16%, in line with the benchmark Nikkei average  .N225 .
 (Reporting by Tim Kelly, Mayu Sakoda, Kiyoshi Takenaka and
Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Christopher
Cushing)
 ((Mariko.Katsumura@thomsonreuters.com))