Japan To Introduce Semiconductor Tech Export Controls

As concerns grow over China’s regional aggression, the Kishida administration is set to introduce export controls designed to impede the use of cutting-edge semiconductor technology for military applications this spring, multiple government sources have said.

The sources said Saturday that the government will amend a ministerial ordinance under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act — which requires permission from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry when exporting certain products and technologies — to prevent manufacturing equipment from being utilized to make semiconductors.

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A draft of the revised ministerial ordinance is expected to be released in the near future. The government will solicit opinions from companies and other related parties to introduce the regulatory measures in the spring.

The move comes as Japan has agreed to cooperate with the wide range of regulatory tightening, which was announced by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden last October.

Amid the increasing risk of a crisis in Taiwan, the battle for tech supremacy is intensifying — particularly with semiconductors, which are directly linked to military power.