US Renews Inquiry Into Applied Materials’ Chinese Business
- The inquiries underscore Washington’s efforts to curb chips
- Chip gear makers are riding surging demand from China
Applied Materials facility in Santa Clara.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergUS government agencies have issued a new round of requests for information about Applied Materials Inc.’s shipments to Chinese customers, reviving a sensitive topic as Washington tries to sever sales of advanced chipmaking gear to its geopolitical rival.
Applied, America’s largest supplier of equipment for making semiconductors, disclosed “multiple subpoenas” as recently as February from agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. That comes on top of requests from the Commerce Department and other agencies dating back to 2022, when the Biden administration escalated a campaign of sanctions to prevent the flow of advanced chips to China.