Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 9, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
ASML's customers reportedly include firms linked to the Chinese military. The company complies with export laws, with China being its largest market in 2024.
AMSTERDAM, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Customers of chip equipment maker ASML include at least one firm with links to the Chinese military, Dutch television program Nieuwsuur reported on Tuesday.
The company said in a response that it could not confirm the report, but that it abides by all export laws, and so any equipment it has sold was either granted an export license or does not fall under restrictions.
Nieuwsuur reported that ASML had sold parts to a subsidiary of state-owned China Electronics Technology Group, an important supplier to the Chinese army.
The report was based at least in part on Chinese import and export data. It said ASML has also sold equipment to Shenzhen International Quantum Academy, as well as chipmakers SiEn (Qingdao) and SMBC, a subsidiary of SMIC .
ASML, the biggest maker of equipment used to manufacture chips, does not disclose information about its customers.
Chipmakers around the world are known to use its tools, including SMIC, China's biggest chipmaking firm. China was ASML's largest market in 2024, representing 36% of sales or around 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) worth.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling, editing by Bart Meijer)
ASML is a Dutch company that manufactures photolithography equipment used in the semiconductor industry, crucial for producing integrated circuits and microchips.
The Chinese military, officially known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, responsible for national defense and military operations.
A subsidiary is a company that is completely or partially owned by another company, known as the parent company, which controls its operations and policies.
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