US places sanctions on China's biggest chipmaker

The US government has imposed trade sanctions on China’s largest chipmaker in a further escalation of the global trade war that has already ensnared Huawei and TikTok. American suppliers of equipment to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), a key producer of components used in smartphones and other devices, will now have to request permission from Washington to continue working with the company. A letter from the US Department of Commerce sent to business on Friday