The US-China semiconductor war intensifies

Chinese authorities enforced sanctions prohibiting purchasing of Micron semiconductors. This has prompted an immediate and strong response from the U.S. against China, underlining the importance of a collaborative approach with allied nations. The situation is being viewed as a critical "litmus test" for the Korean semiconductor industry, which maintains a close relationship with the U.S. but cannot afford to neglect China, the world's largest market.

On Sunday (local time), the U.S. Department of Commerce released a statement saying it is “firmly” opposing China’s latest action and that the U.S. will continue cooperating with allies to prevent disruptions in the semiconductor industry. The department pointed out, “This action, along with recent raids and targeting of other American firms, is inconsistent with (China's) assertions that it is opening its markets and committed to a transparent regulatory framework."

Before these events, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) declared on Sunday, “Micron’s products have relatively serious cybersecurity risks, which pose significant security risks to China’s critical information infrastructure supply chain,” adding, “According to the Network Security Act, and other laws and regulations, critical information infrastructure operators in China must stop purchasing Micron products.

During the South Korea-U.S. summit in April, the Biden administration had urged Korean semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which operate factories in China, to exercise caution in expanding the sale of memory semiconductors in China if Micron sales were to face a ban.


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