US Sanctions 32 Firms Including SMIC-Linked Chinese Companies Across Asia, Middle East

The United States government has expanded its trade restrictions by adding 32 global entities, including two Chinese firms, GMC Semiconductor Technology (Wuxi) Co and Jicun Semiconductor Technology, to the Commerce Department's Entity List due to their acquisition of U.S. chipmaking equipment for Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). These sanctions aim to prevent China, particularly its military and advanced computing sectors, from advancing its domestic semiconductor capabilities and to restrict technology transfers that could support China's military modernization and government apparatus. Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Technology Co was also added to the list for supplying technology to Chinese military projects and Russian military end users, prompting additional restrictions. Besides China, entities in Singapore, Taiwan, India, Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates were included to address broader concerns over technology diversion. The new rules require licenses for shipments of U.S. technology to these companies, which are expected to be denied in most cases, reflecting the U.S.'s ongoing commitment to restricting strategic semiconductor technologies. These measures highlight the intensifying trade and technology conflict between the U.S. and China amid national security concerns.