Amid concerns that Samsung Electronics' operations at its China plants could be disrupted by the U.S. government's tougher semiconductor curbs on China, the company has reportedly received authorization to bring U.S.-made equipment into its China semiconductor plants for the entirety of 2026.
Reuters reported on the 30th, citing anonymous sources, that Samsung Electronics received permission from the U.S. government to bring in equipment for operating its China semiconductor plants in 2026.
Previously, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix were recognized by the U.S. government as "validated end users" (VEU), allowing them to bring U.S.-made semiconductor equipment into their China plants without separate restrictions as long as certain security conditions were met.
However, as part of stronger checks on China's semiconductor sector, the U.S. government announced in Aug. that it would remove Samsung Electronics and SK hynix from the VEU list. The measure had been slated to take effect starting on the 31st.
If the policy had gone ahead as planned, Korean semiconductor corporations such as Samsung Electronics would have had to obtain individual U.S. government approvals each time they brought U.S.-made equipment into their China plants, prompting concerns that major disruptions to operations at their China business sites would be unavoidable.
As industry objections mounted, the U.S. government recently adjusted its stance, reportedly deciding to allow equipment exports on a one-year basis. As a result, the industry says it has avoided the worst-case scenario of sweeping disruptions to operations at China plants.