Taiwan puts advanced chip equipment on export control list
A sample of a semiconductor chip made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is displayed at the Cybersec 2025 conference and expo in Taipei on Apr 15, 2025. (File photo: AFP/I-Hwa Cheng)
TAIPEI: Taiwan said on Monday (Nov 17) it has added advanced semiconductor equipment to its export control list, but a government official told AFP the move was not targeted at a "specific country".
A powerhouse in semiconductor manufacturing, Taiwan makes nearly all of the world's most cutting-edge chips that power artificial intelligence.
The move comes as the United States restricts the sale of state-of-the-art chips to China over concerns they could be used to advance Beijing's military systems and other tech capabilities.
Taiwan added 18 items, covering high-end 3D printers, advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and quantum computers in its updated export control list.
"We added new items because relevant international regulations and allied partners have included them in their own rules," an official at the Ministry of Economic Affairs' International Trade Administration told AFP.
"We update the list together with our allies ... we are not targeting any specific country," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.
The control lists, which are updated every year, aim to "prevent the risk of goods being used in military-proliferation activities under international cooperation frameworks", and were not an "export ban", the trade administration said in a statement.
Taiwanese companies wanting to export items on the control list are required to apply for a permit. The rule takes effect after a 60-day notice period.
Taiwan put Chinese tech firms Huawei and SMIC on an export blacklist in June, further squeezing Beijing's access to the technology needed to build the most advanced chips.
