Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma traveled to Washington this week to meet with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and members of Congress, aiming to block the MATCH Act, a bill that would bar Chinese chipmakers from accessing Western semiconductor equipment. The legislation would hit ASML particularly hard. ASML, based in the Netherlands, is Europe's most valuable company and the world's sole producer of the sophisticated lithography machines used to manufacture cutting-edge AI chips.
China accounts for 19% of ASML's net system sales. The MATCH Act would extend existing controls to include ASML's deep ultraviolet (DUV) immersion machines, on top of the long-standing ban on its most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) tools. As ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet told TechCrunch in May, what China can currently buy are older-generation DUV tools first shipped about a decade ago, the same machines the MATCH Act would now put off-limits.
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Sjoerdsma warns of high stakes for the Netherlands
After the meetings, Sjoerdsma told Bloomberg: “It's exceptional that I'm coming here to broadly outline our concerns to Congress. The stakes for the Netherlands may be very high.” The visit highlights growing friction between U.S. efforts to curb China's technological rise and European economic interests. Europe's semiconductor sector watches closely, as initiatives like the Mistral OCR 4 model aim to bolster European tech autonomy.
MATCH Act may need to be folded into a larger package
Introduced in April, the bill has not yet faced a full House or Senate vote. According to Bloomberg, it would likely need to be incorporated into a broader legislative package to pass. Nevertheless, its mere existence is already sending ripples through the industry. European chip companies fear losing a crucial market, while policymakers view the act as an infringement on the continent's technological sovereignty.
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ASML and the global semiconductor race
Sjoerdsma's Washington visit underscores the delicate balance between geopolitical alliances and commercial interests. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet told TechCrunch that further restrictions would push China to develop its own technologies, undermining Western influence. With the MATCH Act, the United States may achieve the opposite effect, accelerating Chinese chip independence. For Europe, the challenge is to maintain loyalty to its American ally while protecting an industrial gem like ASML.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/24/europe-is-pushing-back-on-washingtons-chip-war
