US to gather information on chipmaking firms in China
US Commerce Department will begin gathering information on Chinese production of legacy semiconductors chips that aren't cutting-edge but are still vital to the global economy as it looks to track how deeply reliant US companies have become on the technology from China.
In January, the agency's Bureau of Industry and Security will survey more than 100 companies in autos, aerospace, defense and other sectors to understand how they procure and use legacy chips, according to a Commerce official.
Some Chinese chipmakers have used low prices to undercut competitors, according to the official, and Washington wants to prevent China from dominating that industry like it did in steel and solar.
«Over the last few years, we've seen potential signs of concerning practices from the PRC to expand their firms' legacy chip production and make it harder for US companies to compete,» Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China. The survey will «inform our next steps,» she said.
Those steps could include tariffs or other trade tools to counter China's push, said the official, who asked not to be identified.
