The Chinese government condemned a Dutch decision to tighten restrictions on the export of some of the most advanced chipmaking equipment produced in the nation, a move blamed squarely on US influence.

China Foreign Ministry representative Mao Ning told in a press conference the country opposes the US stretching the concept of national security and abusing export control tools.

She added the US uses “all sorts of pretexts to cajole” other nations into joining its technological blockade against China, which “seriously undermine market rules and the international trade order”.

The Netherlands detailed its clampdown late last week, explaining “additional export control measures” will come into force on 1 September, after which “a national authorisation requirement” will apply to shipments.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher stated the country took the step “on national security grounds”, but added the lead time involved gives companies “the time they need to adapt to the new rules”.

The Dutch government stated the addition to its export control policy “is country-neutral” and was taken because many advanced semiconductors made in the Netherlands “can make a key contribution to certain advanced military applications”.

Schreinemacher said “careful consideration” guided the government in drafting the export order, arguing this enables the nation to “address the most important vulnerabilities without causing unnecessary disruption to the global manufacture of chips”.

Despite several reports indicating Netherlands-based chipmaker ASML will be particularly hard-hit by the move, the company stated it expects no impact on its financial performance this year “or for our longer-term scenarios”.

ASML noted explained advanced manufacturing techniques including “deposition and immersion lithography systems” are set to be affected by the latest move, but added its guidance already accounted for existing restrictions on exports of its extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) equipment.