The United States government has granted annual approval to South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to ship chipmaking equipment to their manufacturing plants in China for 2026.
Titansloaded reports that the approval follows Washington’s earlier decision to withdraw blanket export waivers that had allowed major semiconductor firms to send U.S.-made equipment to China without periodic reviews. Under the revised framework, licences must now be renewed yearly.
Industry sources disclosed that the approval offers short-term operational stability for **Samsung Electronics** and **SK Hynix**, both of which operate large memory chip facilities in China that support global demand, particularly for artificial intelligence and data centre technologies.
Previously, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) benefited from a “validated end-user” status that enabled them to receive U.S. chipmaking tools without individual export licences. That exemption is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2025.
Neither Samsung nor SK Hynix issued an immediate response to the development, while the U.S. Department of Commerce declined official comment outside business hours.
The decision reflects ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to tighten export controls on advanced technologies destined for China, citing national security concerns and the need for stronger regulatory oversight.
China remains a critical production hub for conventional memory chips, and analysts say the new annual approval system allows limited commercial continuity while giving U.S. authorities closer supervision of sensitive semiconductor exports.
Market observers note that while the move reduces uncertainty in the short term, long-term investment decisions by chipmakers will depend heavily on future U.S. trade and technology policies.
