The U.S. government has approved annual export licenses allowing Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to ship chipmaking equipment to their manufacturing facilities in China throughout 2026, according to people familiar with the decision cited by Reuters. The approvals arrive just one day before a long-standing waiver system expires on December 31, forcing foreign-owned fabs in China onto a more restrictive licensing framework.
Under the previous regime, Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC benefited from so-called validated end-user status, which allowed qualifying factories in China to receive U.S.-controlled semiconductor tools without seeking individual export licenses for each shipment. That status will lapse on December 31, after which shipments of U.S.-origin manufacturing equipment require explicit authorization from Washington.
