ASML’s new million chip colossus transforms how semiconductors are made. CNBC got the first-ever on-camera look at the new machine, called High NA. #exclusive #look #making #high #asmls

When Huawei shocked the global tech industry with its Mate 60 Pro smartphone featuring an advanced 7-nanometer chip despite sweeping US technology restrictions, it demonstrated that innovation finds a way even under the heaviest sanctions. The US response was swift and predictable: tighter export controls and expanded restrictions.Now, with reports suggesting Huawei’s Ascend AI chips are approaching Nvidia-level performance—though the Chinese company remains characteristically silent about these developments—America has preemptively escalated its semiconductor war to global proportions. The Trump administration’s declaration that using Huawei’s Ascend chips “anywhere in the world” violates US export controls reveals more than policy enforcement—it exposes a fundamental fear that American technological dominance may no longer be guaranteed through restrictions alone.This global AI chip ban emerged on May 14, 2025, when President Donald Trump’s administration rescinded the Biden-era AI Diffusion Rule without revealing details of a replacement policy. Instead, the Bureau of Industry and Securityannounced guidance to “strengthen export controls for overseas AI chips,” specifically targeting Huawei’s Ascend processors. The new guidelines warn of “enforcement actions” including imprisonment and fines for any global business found using these Chinese-developed chips—a fundamental departure from traditional export controls, which typically govern what leaves a country’s borders, not what happens entirely outside them.The South China Morning Post reports that these new guidelines explicitly single out Huawei’s Ascend chips after scrapping the Biden administration’s country-tiered “AI diffusion” rule. But the implications of this global AI chip ban extend far beyond bilateral US-China tensions. By asserting jurisdiction over global technology choices, America essentially demands that sovereign nations and independent businesses worldwide comply with its domestic policy preferences.This extraterritorial approach raises fundamental questions about national sovereignty and international trade. Should a Brazilian AI startup be prevented from using the most cost-effective chip solution simply because those chips are manufactured by a Chinese company? Should European research institutions abandon promising collaborations because they involve hardware Washington deems unacceptable?According to Financial Times reporting, BIS stated that Huawei’s Ascend 910B, 910C, and 910D were all subject to the regulations as they were likely “designed with certain US software or technology or produced with semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is the direct product of certain US-origin software or technology, or both.”Industry resistance to universal controlsEven within the United States, the chipmaking sector expresses alarm about Washington’s semiconductor policies. The aggressive expansion of export controls creates uncertainty beyond Chinese companies, affecting global supply chains and innovation partnerships built over decades.“Washington’s new guidelines are essentially forcing global tech firms to pick a side – Chinese or US hardware – which will further deepen the tech divide between the world’s two largest economies,” analysts note. This forced binary choice ignores the nuanced reality of modern technology development, where innovation emerges from diverse, international collaborations.The economic implications prove staggering. Recent analysis indicates Huawei’s Ascend 910B AI chip delivers 80% of Nvidia A100’s efficiency when training large language models, though “in some other tests, Ascend chips can beat the A100 by 20%.” By blocking access to competitive alternatives, this global AI chip ban may inadvertently stifle innovation and maintain artificial market monopolies.The innovation paradoxPerhaps most ironically, policies intended to maintain American technological leadership may undermine it. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged earlier this month that Huawei was “one of the most formidable technology companies in the world,” noting that China was “not behind” in AI development.Attempting to isolate such capabilities through global restrictions may accelerate the development of parallel technology ecosystems, ultimately reducing American influence rather than preserving it. The secrecy surrounding Huawei’s Ascend chips—with the company keeping “details of its AI chips close to its chest, with only public information coming from third-party teardown reports”—has intensified with US sanctions.Following escalating restrictions, Huawei stopped officially disclosing information about the series, including release dates, production schedules, and fabrication technologies. The chips specified in current US restrictions, including the Ascend 910C and 910D, haven’t even been officially confirmed by Huawei.Geopolitical ramificationsIn a South China Morning Post’s report, Chim Lee, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, warns that “if the guidance is enforced strictly, it is likely to provoke retaliation from China” and could become “a negotiating point in ongoing trade talks between Washington and Beijing.” This assessment underscores the counterproductive nature of aggressive unilateral action in an interconnected global economy.The semiconductor industry thrives on international collaboration, shared research, and open competition. Policies that fragment this ecosystem serve no one’s long-term interests—including America’s. As the global community grapples with challenges from climate change to healthcare innovation, artificial barriers preventing the best minds from accessing optimal tools ultimately harm human progress.Beyond binary choicesThe question isn’t whether nations should protect strategic interests—they should and must. But when export controls extend “anywhere in the world,” we cross from legitimate national security policy into technological authoritarianism. The global technology community deserves frameworks that balance security concerns with innovation imperatives.This global AI chip ban risks accelerating the technological fragmentation it seeks to prevent. History suggests markets divided by political decree often spawn parallel innovation ecosystems that compete more effectively than those operating under artificial constraints.Rather than extending controls globally, a strategic approach would focus on out-innovating competitors through superior technology and international partnerships. The current path toward technological bifurcation serves neither American interests nor global innovation—it simply creates a more fragmented, less efficient world where artificial barriers replace natural competition.The semiconductor industry’s future depends on finding sustainable solutions that address legitimate security concerns without dismantling the collaborative networks that drive technological advancement. As this global AI chip ban takes effect, the world watches to see whether innovation will flourish through competition or fragment through control.See also: Huawei’s AI hardware breakthrough challenges Nvidia’s dominanceWant to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here. #can #really #enforce #global #chip

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech MobileSemiconductor Huawei’s Chipmaking Partner SiCarrier Reportedly Seeks $2.8 Billion In Funding As It Attempts To Compete With ASML; Most Products Have Yet To Enter Production Omar Sohail • May 14, 2025 at 01:07am EDT SiCarrier was previously reported to have a trade link with Huawei, with the Chinese firm said to be developing next-generation chip manufacturing tools that would allow it and the region to compete with ASML and severely reduce dependency on overseas firms. Unfortunately, realizing these goals is going to be a costly venture, and even with financial backing from China, it appears that SiCarrier’s plans cannot reach fruition without some funding to catalyze its plans, which is why the company is said to acquire capital of a whopping $2.8 billion to make this possible. The funds will be used for research purposes, with various entities interested in investing in SiCarrier During SEMICON, SiCarrier unveiled a host of cutting-edge chipmaking machines aimed at breaking ASML’s monopoly and giving China the edge in this highly competitive industry. Unfortunately, Reuters reports that most of the products showcased by the Huawei partner have yet to enter production, and the lack of funds could be a major indicator. This is likely why the company is apparently looking to raise capital, with sources familiar with the matter claiming that SiCarrier wants $2.8 billion, with the firm valued at $11 billion.. The fundraising could conclude in a few weeks, with multiple entities such as domestic venture capital companies interested in investing in SiCarrier. Interestingly enough, the report mentions that the required funding did not include the chipmaker’s lithography assets, but there is a possibility that interested parties will want a piece of this pie. After all, the entire goal for China, and by extension, Huawei, is to stop relying on the older DUV equipment and focus on building ‘state of the art’ EUV machinery so that a host of companies can move past the 7nm barrier. Currently, China’s largest semiconductor manufacturing company, SMIC, is limited to mass manufacturing 7nm wafers because transitioning to the 5nm technology requires multiple patterning steps, which increases costs and lowers yields. SMIC was previously mentioned to have successfully developed its 5nm node, but plans to mass producing wafers on this lithography is still a distant dream. China was also said to be developing in-house EUV machines that would enter trial production in Q3 2025, but there are no follow-ups regarding these plans, which only means that the majority of China’s ambitions could rest on SiCarrier’s shoulders. News Source: Reuters Deal of the Day Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada Source: https://wccftech.com/huawei-partner-sicarrier-reportedly-seeking-2-8-billion-in-funding/ #huaweis #chipmaking #partner #sicarrier #reportedly #seeks #billion #funding #attempts #compete #with #asml #most #products #have #yet #enter #production