The US has launched a probe into alleged anti-competitive measures by China to support its semiconductor industry, just weeks before the Biden administration hands over to president-elect Donald Trump. The US Trade Representative’s office said it was investigating “China’s acts, policies and practices related to targeting of the semiconductor industry for dominance”.
Makers of advanced chip manufacturing equipment, such as ASML, are already restricted from selling their most sophisticated tools to Chinese chipmakers, holding back China’s advances in AI and curtailing its efforts to build a rival to Silicon Valley-based Nvidia. However, that has not prevented Chinese chipmakers from making huge investments to scale up production of legacy semiconductors.