Samsung wins U.S. approval chipmaking tool shipments to China. Samsung Electronics has won a key annual export licence from the United States that allows it to ship U.S.-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment to its facilities in China for 2026. According to people familiar with the decision. The approval comes under a new U.S. policy that now requires annual licenses for exports of sensitive chipmaking tools to China, replacing broader long-term waivers that had previously let companies send such equipment without case-by-case approvals.
Samsung and fellow South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix both rely on China as a major production base, especially for conventional memory chips that are in high demand due to growth in artificial intelligence data centers and tight global supply. Previously, Samsung, SK Hynix and Taiwan’s TSMC benefited from a “validated end-user” status that allowed them to receive U.S. tools without repeated licensing. That status is due to expire on December 31, meaning future shipments will need explicit government approval under the annual system.
The move offers temporary relief to Samsung and SK Hynix after the U.S. Commerce Department earlier this year revoked broader exemptions for foreign chipmakers operating in China. Washington’s export control strategy aims to balance maintaining global semiconductor supply chains while limiting China’s access to advanced American technology. Representatives for Samsung and the U.S. government have not immediately commented on the development.
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In August 2025, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the removal of VEU status for Samsung and SK hynix’s China plants, effective December 31, 2025. Other media reports suggest that SK Hynix also received similar approval for its Wuxi DRAM and Dalian NAND sites.