ASML reports zero sales to European customers in Q2

ASML, the Dutch maker of lithography equipment for semiconductor chips, said it sold nothing to European customers in the most recent quarter.

The company’s share of European sales fell from 1 % to 0 %, a drop highlighted by senior executive Frank Heemskerk, who told a panel that Europe should focus on developing capital markets and cutting red tape rather than competing with foreign firms.

Heemskerk added that “from factory to chip design to cloud computing, very little happens here”, underscoring concerns about the region’s ability to meet its Digital Decade ambition of a 20 % global semiconductor market share by 2030.

PwC’s chief economist for the Netherlands, Barbara Baarsma, described the zero‑sale figure as a clear demand issue and suggested that governments act as launch customers to bundle demand, citing recent moves by the French intelligence service to favour domestic AI providers.

ASML’s biggest market remains South Korea, accounting for 43 % of Q2 sales, followed by Taiwan, China, the United States and Japan. The company expects full‑year revenue of €43 billion to €45 billion.

Heemskerk said it is vital for Europe to catch up, noting that ASML is being courted to expand its presence in the United States, China and India.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Andy Lee / Pexels.