Russian companies have purchased spare parts for 25-year-old ASML machines, Trouw newspaper reports

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Russian companies were able to obtain spare parts for 25-year-old ASML chipmaking machines between 2022 and 2023 on secondary markets despite European Union sanctions, Dutch newspaper Trouw reported on Thursday, citing Russian customs documents.

ASML, Europe’s largest technology company, dominates the market for advanced lithography systems, which use light beams to help create the circuits on chips.

Although its 1990s tools are not considered “dual-use” equipment with potential military applications, they would still be useful to Russian companies making analog chips for the country’s war in Ukraine, including for drones.

However, after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, European sanctions blocked sales of electronic equipment to Russia.

ASML told Reuters it was complying with the sanctions and that even before they were imposed it had sold few tools to Russia.

“ASML does not sell products or services to Russia and does not interact with Russian distributors. ASML has not shipped anything to Russia in recent years and sanctions limit the sale of PAS and Twinscan systems, as well as spare parts, to Russia,” it said in an emailed response to questions.

Trouw’s article focused on ASML’s PAS-5500 tools, which date back to the 1990s and 2000s, when ASML was a promising competitor to the largest companies of the time, Japan’s Nikon and Canon. The article alleged that Russian trading companies were purchasing the parts through Chinese middlemen.

Reuters was unable to independently verify this information.

The PAS-5500 is no longer manufactured, but most machines manufactured in the past are still in service. Used machines are sometimes sold or refurbished, and ASML manufactures and sells replacement parts to accredited owners.

Trouw newspaper reported that it had seen documents showing 170 cases of imports of spare parts by Russian companies. The companies concerned declined to comment and the Chinese suppliers could not be found.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)