Samsung Electronics Co.
005930,
has been granted a one-year exemption from new U.S. curbs on China’s chip industry, according to people familiar with the matter, joining a list of semiconductor giants that have received dispensation.
The U.S. Department of Commerce granted Samsung authorization to continue receiving chip-making equipment and other items needed to maintain its memory-chip production in China, the people said. The South Korean company operates chip facilities in two Chinese cities.
Samsung, the world’s biggest memory-chip maker by revenue, hasn’t said publicly if it received a one-year exemption similar to those disclosed by rivals SK Hynix Inc.
000660,
and Intel Corp.
INTC,
A Samsung spokesman declined to comment.
On Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
2330,
also said it obtained the exemption from U.S. rules, enabling the world’s biggest contract chip maker to keep expanding its facilities in China’s eastern city of Nanjing.
The Biden administration has been working to get allies on board with the new rules unveiled Friday. The restrictions appeared to offer at least one concession to some of the allies, as the Commerce Department would review applications for certain exports to U.S. and U.S.-allied facilities operating in China on a case-by-case basis. Chinese-owned facilities, in contrast, would face a presumption of denial.
An expanded version of this story appears on WSJ.com.
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