South Korean chipmakers get a reprieve
But the pressure from geopolitical tension and China’s domestic manufacturing drive will increase
![Employees work on the production line of silicon wafer at a workshop.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20231021_ASP501.jpg)
It has been an anxious year for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea’s leading chipmakers. Last October America restricted exports of advanced chipmaking equipment to China in an attempt to cripple its ability to procure or produce chips for weapons systems. The South Korean firms, which rely on China as both a manufacturing base and market, received a year-long exemption, but fretted about what might happen after it expires.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Chipping away”
Asia October 21st 2023
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