U.S. secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo warned Chinese companies against assisting Russia’s efforts to bypass sanctions, singling out semiconductor giant SMIC.
The Joe Biden administration could shut down Chinese companies that defy U.S. sanctions and export controls including the supplying of American chips and other advanced technology to Russia, according to U.S. secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo in an interview with «New York Times».
U.S. export controls prohibit the sale of various high technology products, including advanced semiconductors which Raimondo said China currently lacked the ability to produce.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation
Within the semiconductors industry, Raimondo notably highlighted Washington’s ability to «essentially shut down» state-backed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), China’s largest chip maker, by preventing its use of U.S. equipment and software.
«They have their own self-interest to not supply this stuff to Russia,» Raimondo said. «So they’re not doing it out of the goodness of their heart. It would be devastating to China’s ability to produce these chips.»
