The US should not expect the Netherlands to unconditionally accept the US model of export restrictions on China, Foreign Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said.

“The Netherlands will not copy American measures one to one. We will conduct our own assessment – ​​and we will do so in consultation with partner countries such as Japan and the United States.” The administration of the American president is trying to conclude a multilateral agreement to impose restrictions on China, trying to prevent the transfer of advanced electronics technology to the country in general and its armed forces in particular. But for the first time ever, the Dutch authorities have publicly expressed their position on this issue.

The European official's statement reveals the serious problems the US is facing in trying to convince its allies to join the anti-China campaign. The Netherlands and Japan largely share Washington's concerns about security issues, but at the same time they still view China as a major market that they don't want to lose. And the position of the Netherlands has a lot of weight, because here is ASML Holding NV - the largest player in the market for equipment for the production of semiconductor products. The company has already been banned from selling deep ultraviolet lithographic scanners to China, but it can still supply less sophisticated equipment. Ms. Schreinemacher noted that the Netherlands is likely to impose export controls on Beijing itself - the authorities just need time to decide on new rules.

In early October, the US presidential administration announced new sanctions against China that shocked the entire semiconductor industry. US manufacturers have said they are expecting billions of dollars in revenue cuts. Before the end of the month, a delegation from the United States, headed by Deputy Minister of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez, is expected to arrive in the Netherlands - overseas politicians want to discuss export control measures, but there are doubts that the final decision will be made following the first round of negotiations. Meanwhile, at the G20 summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte not to harm the global market.