The United States has raised several exports restrictions on chips design software to Chinawhich means a revenue to a controversial measure that imposed. Only six weeks ago and put the design capacity of Chips in China at risk. Apparently, the step has been taken as part of an agreement for China to access and accelerate the export and sending of rare earths, and with which the United States also lifts the export controls of ethane and reaction motors.
The three main semiconductor design software suppliers (Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems and the German Siemens) have already received the notification that the requirements to obtain the export license of their products for China companies are no longer in force. The three have issued communications of the reception of this notification this week, according to Networkworld.
This step back is a radical change to the aggressive strategy adopted by the Trump administration last May, when it imposed the aforementioned restrictions on the electronic design automation software (EDA), that is, on the necessary programs for the design of advanced chips.
These restrictions were a scaling in the technological war between the United States and China, and went beyond the controls imposed on certain semiconductors. With the measure, China could no longer access the software for its design, something that harmed it a lot in the face of achieving its goal of achieving technological independence in semiconductors with the production of its own chips.
This type of software is not easy to replace, and is basic for performing all chips design and manufacturing processes. In addition, the measures adopted by the United States when the prohibition entered into force implied that Chinese companies did not be able to have updates of the design software that they already had. Either with support of its developers.
Las financial implications for companies that are dedicated to the development of this software were going to be significant If this measure is still in force, since Chinese companies respectively represent 16% and 12% of Synopsys and Cadence customers (exactly how many are Siemens clients are unknown). Therefore, its uprising also involves relief for its results and sales.
