SEJONG, South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday the government is making efforts to lift uncertainties in the semiconductor industry by continuing talks with the U.S. regarding trade policies that can affect local chipmakers.
The remark came after the U.S. last week issued a rule updating general authorizations for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to keep supplying their China-based plants with certain U.S. semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
"(The latest rule) has significantly eased uncertainties regarding South Korean chipmakers' operation and investment in China," the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Energy said in a statement.
In October last year, the United States published the rule restricting exports of certain advanced chipmaking tools to China-based facilities in an apparent bid to slow Beijing's technological advances.
The updated rule designated the two chipmakers as "verified end users (VEU)" -- a status that reduces the licensing burden on the Korean firms with operations in China.
The trade ministry added that it is also closely engaging in talks with the U.S. government on the CHIPS and Science Act as well.
"We plan to discuss closely with companies the related trends, and continue cooperation with the U.S. government to enhance the global chips supply chain and guarantee companies' investment and operations," the ministry said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency