Netherlands Opposes MATCH Act at Risk to ASML's China Business

Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma traveled to Washington this week to lobby against the MATCH Act, a proposed US semiconductor export control bill that would restrict Chinese access to ASML’s deep ultraviolet lithography equipment. The bill poses a direct threat to the revenue of Europe’s most valuable company: China currently accounts for 19% of ASML’s net system sales, equivalent to approximately $2.6 billion annually. If the MATCH Act becomes law, that market would be shuttered entirely.

The Scope of New Export Controls

According to TechCrunch, the MATCH Act, introduced in April 2026, would extend beyond existing restrictions on ASML’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) tools. The proposed legislation would add deep ultraviolet immersion machines to the prohibited export list—equipment that, while older-generation technology first shipped roughly a decade ago, remains a significant component of ASML’s China business. ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet acknowledged this tension in May, noting that these DUV tools represent the frontier of what China is currently permitted to purchase under existing controls.

Diplomatic Pressure from The Hague

Sjoerdsma met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Congressional members to “broadly outline our concerns,” Bloomberg reported. The Dutch minister’s statement—“The stakes for the Netherlands may be very high”—signals that this is not a routine trade dispute but rather a core national economic interest for a country whose single largest technology export depends on access to Chinese markets.

The diplomatic urgency reflects ASML’s outsized importance to Dutch GDP and Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem. As the sole global manufacturer of the lithography machines required to produce cutting-edge AI accelerators, ASML’s revenue constraints would ripple across European technology competitiveness.

Legislative Status and Path Forward

The MATCH Act has not yet advanced to a full House or Senate vote. According to TechCrunch, the bill would likely require incorporation into a larger legislative package—such as a broader trade or defense bill—to achieve passage. This procedural reality may create negotiation space for European objections, though the bill’s strategic intent (limiting Chinese access to advanced semiconductor capacity) aligns with the Biden administration’s broader chip containment policy.

Why This Matters

The MATCH Act represents a critical test of transatlantic coordination on tech decoupling. The US and Netherlands are NATO allies, but their economic interests in the semiconductor supply chain diverge: Washington prioritizes containing China’s chipmaking capability; The Hague prioritizes preserving ASML’s commercial access and revenue stability. If the act passes unchanged, it would force a direct choice between US geopolitical objectives and European commercial interests—a tension likely to escalate pressure for alternative supply chains and regulatory responses from Brussels. The outcome will signal whether US export controls can operate unilaterally or require coalition-building with allied nations whose companies bear direct financial exposure.