EU negotiates sanction swap with China to rescue critical ASML supplier
The EU is currently in talks with China to lift restrictions the country imposed on Sindlhauser Materials GmbH, a German company in ASML's supply chain, as the sanctions risk putting the company out of business. In return, the EU would remove restrictions it placed on one unnamed Chinese firm accused of aiding Russia in the war with Ukraine, according to an Oct. 14 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter.
The deal was discussed during EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maro efovi's visit to Beijing. The EU is expected to make the first move, with any delisting on its end requiring unanimous support from member states. Both sides also agreed to share more information and give advance warning on future export restrictions.
In July 2026, China put Sindlhauser, a German precision-manufacturing and advanced-coatings firm, on its export-control list, along with 13 other European companies, in apparent retaliation for the EU's 21st Russia sanctions package, which sanctioned several Chinese firms accused of supplying Moscow with components that can be used to make weapons. Beijing's official reason was the firms' alleged dealings with Taiwan.
China's selection of Sindlhauser is not random, as the company sits in ASML's supply chain. According to Bloomberg, officials believe Beijing has spent the last year and a half gathering information on Western supply chains, and used the data to identify the seemingly obscure German firm as a pressure point on the world's most important chipmaking-equipment company.
Sindlhauser relies almost entirely on Chinese rare earths and critical minerals. Therefore, the restrictions, which ban Chinese exporters from selling dual-use items to the firm, cut off its main source of input. They also prohibit foreign companies and individuals from passing on China-origin dual-use items to the firm, thus preventing Sindlhauser from simply sourcing the same materials through a third-party distributor.
After the listing, which initially sparked panic over the company's survival, the German government and Bavaria's state government stepped in, helping the company explore workarounds such as alternative suppliers and recycling existing materials. However, due to its heavy dependence on China, Sindlhauser now faces the risk of going out of business in the coming months if the sanctions remain.
EU officials in Brussels had been raising the case with Beijing for weeks, culminating in the delisting swap discussed during efovi's visit. The incident highlights China's influence on several aspects of the global technology supply chain, including semiconductor manufacturing, which is critical to the AI boom. The country placed export restrictions on several rare earth metals, limiting their availability across the supply chain. Meanwhile, the West has been investing heavily in domestic supply chains to reduce reliance on China.