US-China Semiconductor War Enters ‘Round 2’

Tensions and conflicts are intensifying in the “semiconductor war” between the U.S. and China. As the first anniversary approaches of the U.S. government’s decision to restrict exports of semiconductor chips and equipment to China on Oct. 7 of last year, an update on policies regarding “Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductors” has been announced. The European Union (EU) is also considering measures to limit exports of advanced technologies, including semiconductors, seemingly targeting China. This comes after China’s IT giant, Huawei, successfully started mass production of 7-nanometer (nm) semiconductors, signaling rapid technological self-reliance, which seems to have heightened concerns. However, Korean companies, mainly focused on memory semiconductors, seem to be currently out of this fray.