By Toby Sterling

AMSTERDAM, May 14 (Reuters) – The Netherlands has objected to a proposed U.S. law that could further restrict exports to China ‌by Dutch chipmaking equipment maker ASML, the Dutch government said in ‌written answers to questions from parliament this week.

The answers by trade minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, dated May ​12, were reported earlier by the South China Morning Post.

Sjoerdsma said Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and other senior officials had raised concerns about the proposed U.S. MATCH Act during a visit to the United States in April by the ‌Dutch king and queen, which ⁠included meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump.

The proposed law seeks to force U.S. allies to follow Washington’s export controls as ⁠part of efforts to curb China’s ability to make advanced semiconductors. Equipment made by ASML, Europe’s most valuable company, is named in the legislation proposed last month.

Chinese ​officials are ​also expected to raise objections during ​Trump’s visit this week.

The Netherlands has ‌previously aligned with the United States on restrictions that prevent ASML from selling its most advanced equipment to Chinese customers, citing security concerns.

But Sjoerdsma said the Dutch government opposed the broad scope of the proposed U.S. law, warning it could hurt the market position of semiconductor companies, including Dutch firms. A ‌third of ASML’s sales last year were ​to customers in China.

The government’s main objection was ​the bill’s “extraterritorial” nature, he said, ​referring to provisions that allow Washington to impose restrictions on ‌companies outside the United States.

“The Netherlands’ ​starting point is that ​every country is responsible for its own laws,” Sjoerdsma said.

ASML dominates the market for lithography tools, which use lasers to create the circuitry ​of chips.

Sjoerdsma said the ‌U.S. rules “could result in companies no longer being allowed to perform maintenance ​or support, even for machines already delivered”, disrupting international commerce.

(Reporting ​by Toby Sterling; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)