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moonshinegnomie

(3,902 posts)
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 09:22 AM 18 hrs ago

eurpoe has a giant weapon it could use against the US in an economic war

Its not secret that AI is goign to play a huge role in the future.
In order to make teh chips needed for AI you need highly specialized equipment.
One key machine is an Extreme Ultraviolet lithography machine which is a must have to make teh AI chips.

Theres only 1 company that makes them. ASML,a dutch company. If the EU decided to ban the export of those machines to the US that would destroy the AI business here.

53 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
eurpoe has a giant weapon it could use against the US in an economic war (Original Post) moonshinegnomie 18 hrs ago OP
make it so creon 18 hrs ago #1
Oh please! Make it so! SheltieLover 18 hrs ago #2
Oh yes! Engage! GreenWave 18 hrs ago #6
K&R UTUSN 18 hrs ago #3
a very short look at these machines: ret5hd 18 hrs ago #4
Many thanks for this video!!! n/t iluvtennis 16 hrs ago #17
Fascinating video on ASML... Thanks! liberalla 15 hrs ago #21
And that's why Generalissimo Trump will march into the Netherlands after he's done with Greenland. dem4decades 18 hrs ago #5
Not true edhopper 17 hrs ago #7
In a flash of a scaramucci? SheltieLover 17 hrs ago #9
They'll be called "Trumpchips." The Madcap 17 hrs ago #11
Those cow chips will be the mighty engines powering the goldish plated Trump fones! Hugin 15 hrs ago #25
In the beginning was the Plan. an oldie... frogstar0 15 hrs ago #32
I knew there was a Plan beneath all this crap! Excellent. erronis 11 hrs ago #36
Was that plan also drawn on a napkin? KS Toronado 17 hrs ago #13
And you all thought is was going to be a ballroom. Nope, it's trump's Stable Genius Chip Foundry. erronis 15 hrs ago #26
The head honchos of the AI industry came to him and shook his hand, tears in their eyes. Jedi Guy 3 hrs ago #53
That would take time. bucolic_frolic 17 hrs ago #8
NVIDIA F-18_AMO 17 hrs ago #12
EU would make a quick impact by just boycotting American goods. The Canadians have sobered US booze industry... dutch777 17 hrs ago #10
Not Many High End Chips Are Made In The US. GB_RN 16 hrs ago #14
According to the video supplied above, TSMC and others get this technology from ASML erronis 15 hrs ago #27
Right. GB_RN 11 hrs ago #35
That is the type of discussions they are having, rather than reciprocal tariffs they Bev54 16 hrs ago #15
They should do it already for the good of humanity SSJVegeta 16 hrs ago #16
Cymer n/t aggiesal 16 hrs ago #18
ASML purchases Cymer for $2.5B "to get control of a light-based technology" erronis 11 hrs ago #37
I know. I used to work at that company and ASML was the main competitor. ... aggiesal 10 hrs ago #39
Small world AZ8theist 10 hrs ago #42
I worked directly out of the Cymer in San Diego at the HQ on Thornmint Court. n/t aggiesal 10 hrs ago #44
Huh! AZ8theist 7 hrs ago #48
Pharmaceuticals. Danish (and other European) companies make a lot of haele 15 hrs ago #19
ASML EUV machines are dependent on the US DetroitLegalBeagle 15 hrs ago #20
Look at my comment #18 n/t aggiesal 10 hrs ago #40
I'd cheer for that. Alice B. 15 hrs ago #22
China just developed a 4nm machine, but they do not have an inventory of them yet. LiberalArkie 15 hrs ago #23
Dear Europe maliaSmith 15 hrs ago #24
How to eliminate AI when using Google DownriverDem 15 hrs ago #28
Cool pro tip! I love pro tips! TY! ❤️ littlemissmartypants 15 hrs ago #30
Is there anyway to make that the default settings so I don't have to keep entering -AI? n/t aggiesal 10 hrs ago #41
Nope relayerbob 15 hrs ago #29
machines cannot be exported Progressive dog 15 hrs ago #31
It is a small country with little military power. Trump will threaten to invade and conquer. Norrrm 14 hrs ago #33
It' TACO time! Mme. Defarge 12 hrs ago #34
ding. this. :) AllaN01Bear 11 hrs ago #38
Now now... don't tease me with a good time! (n/t) OldBaldy1701E 10 hrs ago #43
Isn't the biggest weapon dumping US bonds? not fooled 9 hrs ago #45
Please, oh please! Do not try to negotiate. Just pull the pin and make this happen. Scalded Nun 9 hrs ago #46
If the world got together and drooped the dollar it would crash our economy. BradBo 9 hrs ago #47
DO IT! vapor2 7 hrs ago #49
Sell US currency, Move resources and credit out of the USA, tell citizens to come home. Freeze US money in banks, PurgedVoter 6 hrs ago #50
Cool. OAITW r.2.0 6 hrs ago #51
Proceed. Blue Owl 5 hrs ago #52

dem4decades

(13,749 posts)
5. And that's why Generalissimo Trump will march into the Netherlands after he's done with Greenland.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 09:34 AM
18 hrs ago

edhopper

(37,111 posts)
7. Not true
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 09:41 AM
17 hrs ago

Trump is the biggest expert on AI and computer chips. Nobody knows this stuff more than him. All the heads of the Industry told him so.
He can just make those here in the US. He is already conceiving of an idea for a plan.

Hugin

(37,494 posts)
25. Those cow chips will be the mighty engines powering the goldish plated Trump fones!
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:06 PM
15 hrs ago

John Galt told me so with tears in his eyes.

frogstar0

(230 posts)
32. In the beginning was the Plan. an oldie...
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:22 PM
15 hrs ago

The Plan

In the beginning was the Plan.

And then came the Assumptions.

And the Assumptions were without form.

And darkness was upon the face of the Workers.

And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh."

And the workers went unto their Supervisors and said, "It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odour thereof."

And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying, "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."

And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, "It is a vessel of fertiliser, and none may abide its strength."

And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

And the Directors then went onto the Vice Presidents, saying unto them, "It promotes growth and is very powerful."

And the Vice Presidents went unto the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigour of the company; with powerful effects."

And the President looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.

And the Plan became Policy.

This is How Shit Happens.

erronis

(22,794 posts)
26. And you all thought is was going to be a ballroom. Nope, it's trump's Stable Genius Chip Foundry.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:10 PM
15 hrs ago

Jedi Guy

(3,428 posts)
53. The head honchos of the AI industry came to him and shook his hand, tears in their eyes.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 11:46 PM
3 hrs ago

"Sir," they said, "You've been such an inspiration to all of us. That's why our chatbots barf out nonsensical word salad and create kiddie porn images that would make a serial killer's skin crawl. We couldn't have done it without you, sir."

dutch777

(4,930 posts)
10. EU would make a quick impact by just boycotting American goods. The Canadians have sobered US booze industry...
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 09:53 AM
17 hrs ago

....by not buying US wine and hard liquor. Wineries suffering 10% loses, hard alcohol even more. They are closing the Jim Beam whisky distillery for a year as they don't need more stock they can't sell. And it comes when Americans were already curtailing drinking. Same pain could be spread across a host of goods and services. I like the ASML angle, but if the EU develops a spine, they could do more than strongly worded diplomatic messages.

GB_RN

(3,516 posts)
14. Not Many High End Chips Are Made In The US.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 11:08 AM
16 hrs ago

So, a ban on export of the fabricators to the US wouldn’t have as much of an effect as you might anticipate. The majority of high end chips (those necessary for AI, for example), are predominantly made in Taiwan and South Korea (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, aka TSMC, being the largest manufacturer). It would really take an export ban from Taiwan and South Korea to hurt our AI development. And with the US’s economic heavyweight status, neither country is likely to slit its own throat.

In that proposed scenario, China might be willing to buy what the US no longer could, but there aren’t many governments (first and foremost being Taiwan itself) which want to see China utilizing those chips: A further-empowered Chinese Communist Party-run government is not a great idea…and a really bad idea from Taiwan’s perspective.

erronis

(22,794 posts)
27. According to the video supplied above, TSMC and others get this technology from ASML
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:11 PM
15 hrs ago

GB_RN

(3,516 posts)
35. Right.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 03:46 PM
11 hrs ago

But the vast majority of the chips produced by TSMC, et al., are made in Taiwan and South Korea. So again, disallowing shipment of ASML’s hardware to the US would have minimal effect.

Bev54

(13,238 posts)
15. That is the type of discussions they are having, rather than reciprocal tariffs they
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 11:12 AM
16 hrs ago

are talking about certain bans on items of trade.

erronis

(22,794 posts)
37. ASML purchases Cymer for $2.5B "to get control of a light-based technology"
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 04:02 PM
11 hrs ago
https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/chip-gear-maker-asml-buys-cymer-for-25-billion-idUSBRE89G08R/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/cymer-inc
Cymer, Inc.

17075 Thornmint Court
San Diego, California 92127
U.S.A.
Telephone: (858) 385-7300
Toll Free: (888) 692-9637
Fax: (858) 385-7100
Web site: http://www.cymer.com

Public Company
Incorporated: 1986 as Cymer Laser Technologies, Inc.
Employees: 770
Sales: $418.0 million (2004)
Stock Exchanges: NASDAQ
Ticker Symbol: CYMI
NAIC: 333298 All Other Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

Cymer, Inc. is the leading supplier of excimer lasers, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Excimer lasers deliver deep ultraviolet photolithography light sources in highly narrow bandwidth, enabling complex circuit designs that deliver high processing speeds. Cymer controls more than 90 percent of the worldwide market for excimer lasers, conducting its assembly, integration, and testing activities at a 265,000-square-foot facility in San Diego, California. The company also maintains a refurbishing facility in Korea. Cymer's customers include all three manufacturers of deep ultraviolet photolithography systems, ASML Holding N.V., Canon Inc., Nikon Corp., and numerous semiconductor manufacturers, including Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Intel Corp., Toshiba Corp., and Texas Instruments Inc.

ORIGINS

At one point, when Robert P. Akins and Richard L. Sandstrom reached a crossroads in their careers, they thought about running a hamburger outlet together. It would have been an odd choice for two physicists with Ph.D.s who had just abandoned work on the Strategic Defense Initiative, but for a brief period, while mulling their future over beers at a beach bar named Belly Up, the pair thought about buying a hamburger franchise instead of continuing their development of excimer lasers. Had their discussion reached a different conclusion, Cymer would not have been formed, advances in computer processing power likely would have been stunted, and the Wendy's restaurant chain, having just opened its 3,000th unit, would have gained one more outlet.


aggiesal

(10,581 posts)
39. I know. I used to work at that company and ASML was the main competitor. ...
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 04:50 PM
10 hrs ago

I have a funny story from my time at Cymer, concerning a retired Navy Vet. who I'm sure he is a Trumper now days, but back then he supported GW McIdiot.

AZ8theist

(7,113 posts)
42. Small world
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 05:21 PM
10 hrs ago

I worked for Cymer for about 11 years and then ASML after the purchase. I was at Intel in Chandler.
How about you?

AZ8theist

(7,113 posts)
48. Huh!
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 07:56 PM
7 hrs ago

I trained there several times!
I still have that 25th Anniversary book and cd!!
We probably know some if the same people.

haele

(15,122 posts)
19. Pharmaceuticals. Danish (and other European) companies make a lot of
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 11:47 AM
15 hrs ago

popular and critical drugs that US citizens overpay for.
Like insulin. Ozempic. Heart and hypertension medication. Alzheimer's medication...

Let's just say, there's a potential for a lot of hurting, if not dying or dead, US citizens that are "less wealthy", should there be a conflict lasting longer than a few months.

DetroitLegalBeagle

(2,470 posts)
20. ASML EUV machines are dependent on the US
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 11:49 AM
15 hrs ago

The light source technology and components come from a US based company, Cymer, that is based in California. ASML acquired them a while back, but the components still come from here. The machines do not work without these components. The US already exerts control over ASML by barring them from selling EUV machines to China due to the integration of these US components and tech into the machines. This is why China is working on developing their own machine. ASML could stop supplying machines to the US(which there isnt as much of demand anyway since Taiwan and South Korea are the primary fabrication points), and the US could bar export of Cymer's tech and components and shutdown ASML EUV production entirely until an alternative is developed and integrated into their machines. So ASML isnt going to do it.

DownriverDem

(6,980 posts)
28. How to eliminate AI when using Google
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:15 PM
15 hrs ago

Put in your search. Then leave a space & put -AI. Your results with be without AI.

littlemissmartypants

(31,835 posts)
30. Cool pro tip! I love pro tips! TY! ❤️
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:21 PM
15 hrs ago
How to eliminate AI when using Google
Put in your search. Then leave a space & put -AI. Your results with be without AI.

aggiesal

(10,581 posts)
41. Is there anyway to make that the default settings so I don't have to keep entering -AI? n/t
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 04:52 PM
10 hrs ago

relayerbob

(7,378 posts)
29. Nope
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:15 PM
15 hrs ago

Most of the most powerful chips (ie NVidia) are made by TSMC in Taiwan. It would hobble Intel, and slow the fab being built here, but "destroy" US business here? Nope. Take this from someone with decades in the semiconductor business.

Progressive dog

(7,574 posts)
31. machines cannot be exported
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 12:22 PM
15 hrs ago

to China because some of the technology is under US control. This is according to Wikipedia.

Norrrm

(4,123 posts)
33. It is a small country with little military power. Trump will threaten to invade and conquer.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 01:19 PM
14 hrs ago

Acting President of the Netherlands

not fooled

(6,611 posts)
45. Isn't the biggest weapon dumping US bonds?
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 06:00 PM
9 hrs ago

If krasnov tries to blow up NATO by military action in Greenland, other countries could start dumping US Treasuries. Talk about hurting the US!

Scalded Nun

(1,615 posts)
46. Please, oh please! Do not try to negotiate. Just pull the pin and make this happen.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 06:16 PM
9 hrs ago

You cannot trust we would honor any agreement we make. This country is currently governed by leadershit that has or knows no honor. It is in their DNA and they will not change.

BradBo

(945 posts)
47. If the world got together and drooped the dollar it would crash our economy.
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 06:17 PM
9 hrs ago

And you can blame Trump and the SCOTUS with help from Garland.

PurgedVoter

(2,684 posts)
50. Sell US currency, Move resources and credit out of the USA, tell citizens to come home. Freeze US money in banks,
Sun Jan 18, 2026, 09:21 PM
6 hrs ago

Freeze US oligarch money, the oligarchs is where this all originated.
Insist that any banks with Trump or Epstein data hand it over to the EU or lose connections.
Then Sanction our Oligarchs.
If our Oligarchs can't visit, use their Yachts, and fear the loss of their properties, they might decide that their maneuvers and support for evil are maybe a bit higher risk than they want.

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