In a significant policy shift, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday that it is reviewing export license applications for controlled items under domestic laws and regulations. The United States has removed a series of restrictive measures and formally informed the Chinese side of the developments.
This announcement follows the principled consensus reached during the China-U.S. economic and trade talks in London, as well as the directions set during a June 5 phone call between the two heads of state.
While specific items were not named, the timing aligns with reports that the United States eased curbs on critical technology exports, including electronic design automation (EDA) tools used in semiconductor manufacturing and certain aviation engine components.
EDA software, essential in the chip design process, had been constrained by export restrictions targeting advanced node development. Suppliers such as Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems and Siemens control more than 70 percent of the Chinese mainland’s EDA market, making this reversal a major boost for the region’s semiconductor ecosystem.
In parallel, the United States rolled back licensing requirements for ethane shipments to China. GE Aerospace was also permitted to resume shipments of jet engines and related technology to the aircraft manufacturer COMAC.
As China processes export licenses for eligible controlled items, global tech companies, startups and digital nomads will be watching closely. This shift could ease supply chain pressures, unlock new innovation cycles and reshape high-tech competition in the coming months.
Reference(s):
China says U.S. notified it about lifting some restrictive measures
cgtn.com
