Japan protests China's new curbs on chip chemical imports
China imposes provisional anti-dumping deposits on Japanese DCS imports; Japan protests and studies impact.
Japan has lodged a protest against new Chinese import controls on a key semiconductor material, saying it is studying the potential fallout for its companies. The measures, effective Tuesday, target dichlorosilane (DCS), a chemical used in chip manufacturing.
China's commerce ministry says Japanese exports of DCS violated anti-dumping rules and hurt its domestic industry. Importers must now place cash deposits with Chinese customs at rates up to 99.2%. The provisional measure applies to Japanese firms including Shin-Etsu Chemical and Denal Silane, while Beijing continues its investigation before issuing a final ruling.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara protested the controls and said Japan would respond appropriately to prevent unfair harm to its businesses. The move is part of broader trade friction between the two neighbours, which have also seen China impose export controls on Japanese firms for dual-use items.
DCS is essential for depositing thin films in semiconductor logic and memory chips. Although the global market is competitive, Japan is the leading producer of ultrapure DCS for chip fabrication.
Bilateral ties have been tense since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan's military could intervene if China used force against Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own.