ASML has formally rejected claims by U.S. officials that one of its advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography machines was transferred to China. The Dutch manufacturer circulated internal documentation stating there is no indication any EUV system exists within Chinese borders.
The dispute emerged following June 2026 meetings between ASML executives and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick reportedly raised concerns about an unauthorized transfer, yet U.S. officials have provided no concrete evidence to support the allegation.
Each EUV machine costs up to $400 million and contains over 100,000 components requiring proprietary maintenance. As the sole global manufacturer, ASML maintains meticulous tracking of every unit produced. These systems are essential for fabricating semiconductors used in AI training clusters and next-generation military applications.
The Netherlands has prohibited EUV exports to China since 2019 under significant American pressure. ASML confirms it has shipped zero EUV machines to Chinese clients during this period. While older deep ultraviolet systems remain available, they cannot match the capabilities required for bleeding-edge chip design.
This supply chain remains critical for the broader technology sector. Advanced chip manufacturing directly supports the infrastructure buildout for artificial intelligence and decentralized compute networks relied upon by major tech investors.