Washington has effectively granted the pair an indefinite waiver on broader restrictions banning the shipment of advanced chipmaking gear to China, the Yonhap agency reported, citing a press briefing by Korean government officials. A spokesperson for the presidential office confirmed that account, saying the government will distribute a media release shortly.
Hynix warned in 2022, when Washington unveiled its broadest series of chip export restrictions, that escalating curbs could force the closure or sale of a major plant in China in a worst-case scenario. It operates a DRAM factory in Wuxi in central China, which produces a major proportion of its global memory chips, and also runs NAND facilities in the northern city of Dalian.
Washington has decided to scrap that restriction for Hynix and Samsung with immediate effect, Yonhap reported. Hynix warned at the time it will cut capital spending by half in 2023 to reflect waning electronics demand.