US tightens export controls on chip tech
Australian tiesAug 16, 2022
According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Tues., the US Dept. of Commerce (DOC) approved nearly all tech export requests to China in 2020, which critics warn could be used to advance Beijing's military interests.
DOC data reveals that of the US's $125B in exports to China in 2020 - including sensitive technologies - officials required a license for less than half a percent.
While the US claims it's simply trying to boost its own domestic chip production, what it's actually doing is pushing China out of the industry altogether. In an already-struggling semiconductor production industry, the US is further disrupting a global economy that relies heavily on these technologies.
With China rapidly encroaching militarily on US allies in the Pacific, these new restrictions are positive news. The tight relationship between national security and semiconductor production has been recognized for decades; if China were to surpass the US in the long-term, it could quickly become dominant in every area of warfare. The US is right to withhold such resources from its top geopolitical adversary, which would undoubtedly use them for nefarious purposes.
There's a 50% chance that China will spend at least $36M on importing diodes and semiconductors in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.