The Dutch lithography machine giant released its financial report for the first quarter of 2024 on April 17, judging from the data released, it is "contrary" to the good data of the global economy, in fact, the International Monetary Fund announced its forecast for the global economy at the same time, and the forecast for a number of major economies has been raised, thus optimistic about the development trend of the global economy. However, judging from the data released by the lithography machine giant, the profit plummeted by as much as 40% in the first quarter, which is a direct result of the decline in operating income. As for the sharp drop in revenue, it can be seen from the data that the sales scale in the Chinese market has dropped significantly.
It is also because of the collapse in operating income, as the CEO of the lithography machine giant, Peter Wennink has said no to the United States, in an interview with the media, Peter Wennink publicly stated that there is no reason not to provide repair and maintenance services to Chinese customers. Peter Wennink responded to the US government's pressure on the Netherlands to stop equipment repair and maintenance services for Chinese customers, and now the Dutch lithography machine giant has given a clear signal that it will not continue to impose sanctions on China according to the wishes of the United States, so now the ball has been kicked back to the side of the Dutch Rutte government. As a company, the lithography machine giant insists on exporting related equipment to China, and now it is the Dutch government that imposes export controls on products.
After the United States launched a chip war against China, the Netherlands promoted the so-called export controls for the first time, strictly implemented the United States' sanctions strategy against China, not only prohibiting EUV lithography machines from entering the Chinese market, but also restricting a number of EUV lithography machines Because to prevent Dutch lithography machine manufacturers from providing equipment repair and maintenance for Chinese enterprises, so that Chinese companies cannot use the existing lithography machine equipment normally, this is a strategy to completely block China's chip industry. At a time when China's high-tech is rising, the United States wants to give China small shoes.
China is the most important market, for the Dutch lithography machine manufacturers, is not to give up the business in China, for this there is a situation for the United States to say no, if the Netherlands continues to carry out export control, it is equivalent to the life of the lithography machine manufacturers, because the company is unable to withstand the sudden reduction of operating income of 40% of the scale, so the lithography machine manufacturers have begun to "fight back", for the company, if not fighting, there will be a huge crisis in the future. China has previously relied on its own strength to break through nuclear weapons, and now China also has aircraft carriers and space stations, so it will also break through lithography technology in the future, due to US sanctions, Dutch lithography machine manufacturers are in a dilemma.
In fact, China's GDP growth in the first quarter of 2024 has been 5.3%, during which China's chip industry has also made great progress, China has been manufacturing high-end chips, so there is a huge demand for lithography machines, but due to the export controls of the Dutch government, manufacturers can not export lithography machine products at will. Recently, China has a new model of high-end mobile phone sales, the same is the use of China's own high-end chip products, so it is a huge stimulus for the Dutch lithography machine manufacturers, if no changes are made, the future road will be narrower and narrower, so it directly responds to the new sanctions requirements of the United States, and the Dutch Rutte government needs to give an answer.