Despite sanctions imposed by both countries, especially the United States, TSMC Semiconductor benefited from special exemptions to import American equipment and technology needed for its factories in China.
According to the US sanctions list, the latest export rules introduced by the US government in October 2022 prohibit the sale of tools and technologies necessary to produce chips with a resolution of less than 14 nanometers or 16 nanometers, from 3D NAND memory chips with a resolution of more than 14 nanometers or 16 nanometers and 127 layers and circuits. Integrated DRAM. Chinese authorities propose action at a distance of less than 18 nautical miles.
This information comes from a statement to Reuters from Taiwanese Economy Minister Wang Mei, who explained that TSMC only received a one-year license to supply its Chinese factories with US-made chip production equipment.
This means the company can ship US chip-making equipment to China without having to obtain a separate import license for each tool needed each time. However, the licenses you receive are valid for a limited period of time: only 12 months.
Meanwhile, a TSMC spokesperson said that the company has applied to the US government for a VEU license, an approved permanent license, to import the necessary equipment to the Chinese city of Nanjing. Note that the VEU license has been around since 2007, but TSMC has not required it in the past.
TSMC joining this initiative will free companies from the need to obtain individual licenses for each import, simplify the procurement process and ensure the smooth operation of its factories in China, which it recently did with Samsung and SK Hynix by obtaining perpetual licenses. He obtained a license to import the necessary tools for his factory in China.