Vietnam is unlikely to meet its 2027 trial-production target for its first semiconductor plant because a deal to buy chip-making equipment from Dutch firm ASML had yet to be reached, Reuters reported on 26 October 2026. Talks between Vietnamese telecoms and defence group Viettel and ASML over a deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine have been under way for months, but Reuters explicitly could not learn why no agreement has been reached, nor which DUV machine type was discussed.

A site with no buildings yet

The site on the outskirts of Hanoi, at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, had no buildings yet when Reuters visited in the week before 26 October, with the ground covered in wild vegetation; Planet Labs (January) and Airbus (October) satellite images confirmed the same picture. A person with direct knowledge attributed the likely missed 2027 target to Viettel's lack of experience building chip factories and administrative hurdles in quickly securing government funding, while adding that the project was ongoing but its timeline was unclear.

What the companies said

Viettel told Reuters the project was progressing in line with the established plan and schedule and that activities were being carried out in phases. ASML declined to comment on the talks, and Vietnam's finance ministry did not respond. The project broke ground in January 2026 on a 27-hectare site, with pilot production aimed for the end of 2027 and full operation in 2030, at an estimated cost of about $1.3 billion. Note: this is a DUV purchase for a first-time Vietnamese fab. Reuters gives no evidence that any export licence was refused, and the separate ASML–China export-control story over EUV machines should not be read into these talks.

Sources: Reuters via syndication; Viettel Group.