ASML has issued a strong denial after a new book alleged that the company offered to provide the United States with intelligence on its Chinese customers. The claim follows accusations that ASML violated a U.S.–Dutch agreement restricting the sale of deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography systems to China, according to a report published on November 21.

The allegations appear in De belangrijkste machine ter wereld ("The Most Important Machine in the World"), written by former Bloomberg journalists Diederik Baazil and Cagan Koc. The authors say ASML sold more DUV machines to China than allowed during a transitional period that followed a January 2023 agreement between Washington and The Hague. Under that agreement, the Netherlands would halt DUV exports to China starting in September 2023, with a full ban taking effect in January 2024. EUV sales had already been prohibited.

During the transition period, ASML was reportedly permitted to ship only a limited number of contractually obligated DUV tools and was expected to cease any additional sales. According to the book, ASML CEO Peter Wennink exceeded those limits, prompting strong objections from the Dutch government. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte reportedly warned Wennink that the company was entering "dangerous territory" and that the government felt misled. Washington, for its part, allegedly demanded that ASML take steps to regain trust.

The authors further claim that when the United States considered restricting ASML from servicing tools already installed in China, Wennink suggested an alternative: allowing ASML engineers to continue servicing Chinese fabs while reporting on the developments happening inside them. Because ASML staff frequently work inside Chinese chip plants and collaborate closely with local engineers, the book quotes a senior U.S. official as saying the company "could be Washington's eyes and ears in China."

ASML Issues Strong Denial

ASML has categorically denied the claims. A company spokesperson told NL Times the account was inaccurate and misrepresented the company's actions and intentions. ASML stated that it never proposed to act on behalf of any government, nor has it ever intended to violate agreements with the Dutch, U.S., or any other authorities.

The company emphasized that protecting customer confidentiality is fundamental to its business and that any suggestion it would provide client intelligence to a government is false and harmful.

Reputation and Geopolitical Sensitivities

The controversy highlights the growing tension faced by global semiconductor equipment suppliers as geopolitical competition intensifies. ASML, which produces the world's most advanced lithography machines, must balance compliance with national security restrictions against the need to maintain trust with major customers — including those in China, its third-largest market.

Legal experts note that offering customer data to any government could violate data-privacy rules and undermine industry confidence. If customers fear their trade secrets may be exposed, they may be forced to seek alternative suppliers.

The episode also echoes long-standing U.S. concerns about Chinese companies operating under Beijing's National Intelligence Law, which requires cooperation with state intelligence agencies. That law contributed to Washington's 2019 ban on Huawei and ongoing scrutiny of firms such as DJI and TP-Link.

For now, ASML's firm denial aims to reassure both governments and customers as geopolitical scrutiny over semiconductor technology continues to intensify.