U.S. Legislators Call for Strengthened Semiconductor Equipment Export Ban and Service Restrictions on China (REQ: WFE, BEOL)

U.S. legislators have submitted a joint letter to the U.S. Department of State and Commerce, urging the upgrade of export controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment and components to China. The proposal would bar exports of wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) and their subsystems unless they can achieve production within China, effectively closing current carve-outs allowing 14nm logic and 128+ layer 3D NAND equipment. The letter also seeks to implement a ban on repair and maintenance services, which could significantly shorten the operational lifespan of value百亿-dollar systems already imported from the U.S. and allied suppliers. A proposed multilateral ban on key subsystems would further limit technology leakage through reverse engineering. The only exception proposed is for equipment that achieves local production, creating a loophole that could deprive Chinese-based foundries of authorized spare parts and conflict with recent export licenses. On the day the letter was released, the U.S. Department of Commerce reached a settlement with Applied Materials over alleged违规exports to China, highlighting enforcement challenges.