Slotkin, Warren, Cotton Press Intel on its Reported Use of Chipmaking Tools Produced by Chinese State-Backed Company

WASHINGTON D.C. —
Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Tom Cotton (R-AR), led a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan raising serious national security concerns about
reports
that Intel tested semiconductor manufacturing tools produced by ACM Research, a Chinese state-backed company whose affiliates have been placed on the Department of Commerce Entity List.
The Senators requested detailed information about Intel’s reported testing of ACM equipment, including what due diligence was conducted, whether Intel sought guidance from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and what safeguards are in place to prevent the transfer of sensitive process knowledge. They also asked for written confirmation that Intel would commit to refraining from testing or using equipment from manufacturers with Entity-Listed affiliates without prior authorization from BIS by March 20, 2026.
In December 2024, the Commerce Department blacklisted ACM Research Shanghai and ACM Research Korea for their role in the development or production of integrated circuits for military end use. Despite these restrictions, recent reporting indicates Intel tested two ACM-produced “wet-etch” tools for potential use in its most advanced chipmaking processes.
Other signers of the letter include Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Jim Banks (R-IN).
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