US Government Revokes TSMC’s Waiver to Ship Semiconductor Equipment to China

The move by the Commerce Department shuts down a Biden-era export program, curbing license-free shipments of advanced chip gear into China.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC) headquarters in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Oct. 20, 2021. AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File

U.S. officials have revoked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s authorization that allows it to ship essential equipment to its key chipmaking factory in China, potentially halting its ability to continue semiconductor production at the facility.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) notified Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) on Sept. 2 that its validated end user (VEU) status for its chipmaking plant in Nanjing, China, will be terminated at the end of the year.