China Imposes Antidumping Measure on Chip Material from Japan

Beijing, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)--The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Monday that it would require importers of a semiconductor material produced in Japan, including by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., to pay deposits of up to 99.2 pct as part of antidumping measures.

The ministry issued a preliminary decision finding that Shin-Etsu Chemical and others were selling the material, dichlorosilane, at unfairly low prices and causing harm to China's domestic industry. The measure is set to be implemented Tuesday.

The latest move is believed to be part of a Beijing pressure campaign against Japan. In January, the ministry launched an investigation into imports of Japan-made dichlorosilane soon after China ramped up restrictions on exports of dual-use goods for civilian and military purposes to Japan in the wake of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks about a Taiwan contingency.

Dichlorosilane is used in the semiconductor production process to create a coating layer on silicon wafers. It is used for a variety of semiconductors, including logic and memory chips.

The deposit rate was set at 99.2 pct for dichlorosilane produced by Shin-Etsu Chemical and at 80.8 pct for that produced by a joint venture between major Japanese chemical maker Denka Co. and France's Air Liquide S.A. The rate for other Japanese manufacturers was 99.2 pct.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]