Japan OKs Liquid Hydrogen Fluoride Shipment to Korea
18 November, 2019
Tokyo has recently approved the first export of liquid hydrogen fluoride to Korea, four months after it imposed export curbs on three high-tech materials.
The materials -- hydrogen fluoride, photo resists and fluorinated polyimides -- are essential in chipmaking.
Until recently no shipment of liquid hydrogen fluoride was approved under the tougher rules, though Japan has approved shipments of gaseous hydrogen fluoride and the other materials since it tightened the export controls.
The latest approval came just a few days before a military intelligence-sharing pact between Seoul and Tokyo expires on Nov. 22.
According to industry insiders on Sunday, the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry last Friday approved an application by chemical manufacturer Stella Chemifa to ship high-purity liquid hydrogen fluoride to Samsung and SK Hynix, which placed the orders back in July.
The Japanese ministry accepted the application only in mid-August after dragging its feet on the pretext of insufficient documentation, and gave its approval at long last before the 90-day deadline. The specific amount was not disclosed.
A trade expert said, "Tokyo is trying to send a message to the international community that it isn't weaponizing export rules by observing the 90-day deadline."
But the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Tokyo has informed Washington of its final decision not to accept Seoul's request to lift the export curbs as a precondition for extending the intelligence-sharing pact.
Under the new curbs, which came as a tit-for-tat in a row between the two countries over historical issues, each shipment of the restricted goods needs individual approval instead of the previous blanket license.
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