[News] China’s AMEC Sues U.S. for Blacklisting it as a Chinese Military Company

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According to a report by Nikkei, Chinese semiconductor equipment manufacturer Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC) has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in a U.S. court over being blacklisted as a Chinese military-industrial company.

Reportedly, in January, AMEC was placed on the U.S. Department of Defense’s list of Chinese military-industrial enterprises operating in the United States.

Thus, the company argues that this action violates procedural due process and has severely harmed its reputation. AMEC asserts that it has never engaged in any military-related activities.

Addressing the matter, neither AMEC nor the U.S. Department of Defense has commented on the matter.

The lawsuit comes days after the Financial Times reported that the U.S. Department of Defense planned to remove Chinese automotive LiDAR manufacturer Hesai Technology from its export control blacklist.

At that time, per Nikkie’s report, Hesai had sued the DOD in May and its CEO, David Li, pointed out that allegations of military ties are ridiculous.

AMEC stated that it was previously listed as a Chinese military-industrial enterprise in January 2021 but was removed from the list in June of the same year after requesting the U.S. Department of Defense to provide sufficient facts and evidence. The CEO reportedly expressed shock at AMEC’s re-inclusion on the blacklist, calling it a mistake and baseless.

AMEC specializes in chip equipment with a focus on etching processes. The company reported first-quarter revenue of CNY 1.6 billion (approximately 223 million USD), a 31% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

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