U.S. Deputy Secretary Calls for Ban on Samsung’s and SK Hynix’s High-Tech Memory in China

The U.S. government mentioned the potential export ban on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) produced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in China.

On Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Alan Estevez emphasized that allied countries must actively participate in export controls to China during a Korea-U.S. economic security conference held at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C.

He noted, “Several other like-minded countries have already announced or implemented new national-level export controls on these items, and we expect more countries to do so. We hope Korea will soon announce the implementation of such controls.”

HBM refers to high-performance memory that significantly increases capacity by vertically stacking multiple silicon memory chips. This type of memory excels in data transfer and consumes less power. It is highly favored by tech companies developing artificial intelligence (AI). The dominating companies of such HBM are Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Micron Technology from the U.S.

On September 5, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced export control plans on HBM, quantum computing, advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and 3D printing to China. In response, Estevez emphasized the importance of Korea implementing the same controls, noting that acting independently would render the efforts meaningless. He mentioned that there would be many discussions with Korean companies to ensure alignment.