Intel, Samsung, SK Hynix: No more US exports for Chinese fabs

The Trump administration's US Department of Commerce is revoking export licenses issued by the previous administration. Intel and the Korean chip manufacturers Samsung and SK Hynix are affected. All three companies operate chip fabs in China and will no longer be able to supply new machines and systems from the USA from January 1, 2026.

Intel has been operating a fab for testing and packaging chips in Chengdu since 2003. From 2007, Intel also built Fab 68 in Dalian, which later produced flash memory.

This later went to SK Hynix as part of the takeover of the flash division. SK Hynix also operates a plant for memory chips in Wuxi. Samsung also manufactures NAND flash memory chips in Xi'an.

China ban

Joe Biden's US administration has already tightened export restrictions on chip production facilities to China. However, the US company Intel, for which the Chinese market is important, obtained an exemption to equip its own fabs.

Samsung and SK Hynix also operate or are planning US fabs. Samsung has been manufacturing in Austin, Texas for years and is building another plant in Taylor. SK Hynix, on the other hand, is planning investments of almost 3.9 billion US dollars in Indiana.

However, the US Federal Register has now published the revocation of these permits by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce (Docket No. 250825-0144). However, this only mentions Intel Dalian, SK Hynix and Samsung, not Intel Chengdu.

Jeffrey I. Kessler, the responsible Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, told Bloomberg that the reason for revoking the exemptions was to "close loopholes in export controls, especially those that lead to competitive disadvantages for US companies".

(ciw)