The U.S. government has granted Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix an annual license to bring in chip manufacturing equipment to their facilities in China for 2026, providing temporary relief after earlier license waivers were revoked for some tech companies.

Washington has introduced an annual approval system for exports of chipmaking tools to China, ending exemptions to restrictions that allowed Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC to receive American chipmaking tools without export licenses after December 31.

The U.S. administration is tightening export controls to limit China’s access to advanced American technology, prompting the re-examination of relaxed policies under the previous administration.

Samsung and SK Hynix, major memory chipmakers, rely on China as a key production base for traditional memory chips, which have seen increased demand from AI data centers and limited supplies.

Samsung and SK Hynix declined to comment, TSMC has not responded, and the U.S. Department of Commerce was unavailable for comment.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: US approves Samsung, SK Hynix chipmaking tool shipments to China for 2026, sources say