US Approves Samsung SK Hynix Tool Shipments to China in 2026

The United States has approved annual export licenses allowing Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to ship US-made semiconductor manufacturing equipment to their China-based fabs in 2026, according to people familiar with the decision. The move applies under a new system that replaces the broad waivers previously granted to certain foreign chipmakers operating in China.

The approval provides limited operational continuity for the two South Korean firms, both of which maintain substantial memory-chip production capacity in China. It follows a decision earlier in the year by Washington to revoke long-standing license exemptions and shift to a year-by-year approval process for sensitive chipmaking tools.

Under the new framework, shipments of American semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China will require explicit annual approval from US authorities. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company had previously operated under so-called validated end-user status, which allowed limited tool shipments without individual licenses.

That status expires on December 31. From 2026 onward, approvals will be reassessed annually, introducing an additional layer of uncertainty for foreign chipmakers with advanced manufacturing operations inside China.

Samsung and SK Hynix declined to comment on the decision, while TSMC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The US Department of Commerce also did not comment outside business hours.

China Operations Remain Strategically Important

China remains a key manufacturing base for Samsung and SK Hynix, particularly for mature-node memory products such as DRAM and NAND. These devices are widely used in data centers, including infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence workloads, where demand has tightened supply and pushed prices higher over the past year.

While the licenses do not represent a rollback of US export controls, they indicate that Washington is prepared to tolerate continued operation of foreign-owned fabs in China under closer supervision. The current administration has argued that earlier export rules were overly permissive and is re-examining how advanced US technology flows into Chinese manufacturing ecosystems.

More coverage of semiconductor export controls and supply-chain policy can be found on eeNews Europe, including recent reporting on US-China technology trade measures.