BEIJING: US semiconductor software giant Synopsys has suspended all product sales, services, and new orders in China, following new export restrictions issued by the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
According to an internal letter seen by Reuters, the company has halted fulfilment and access to its support platform SolvNetPlus for Chinese customers, including employees of global clients based in China and military-related users globally. The restrictions, effective immediately, impact electronic design automation (EDA) tools and other semiconductor-related products.
The move comes after Synopsys received formal notice of the restrictions on May 28 and subsequently withdrew its financial forecasts for the year. Alongside Cadence and Siemens EDA, Synopsys controls a majority of China’s EDA software market—critical tools used in chip design for everything from smartphones to vehicles.
The suspension poses a significant setback for China’s semiconductor sector, which relies heavily on advanced US software. Chinese design firms like Brite Semiconductor, Zhuhai Jieli, and VeriSilicon are among the users of Synopsys tools.
Synopsys declined to comment on the development.–REUTERS
