Japan is planning to impose export restrictions on 23 types of equipment used to manufacture semiconductors, as the geopolitical tensions between the US and China sharpen, the government said on Friday.

The restrictions, which will come into effect in July, will require Japanese companies that feature heavily and critically in the global semiconductor supply chain, including Tokyo Electron, Nikon and others, to seek export permission for all regions.

Although the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry did not explicitly mention China in its briefing, officials said that the restrictions were part of Japan’s responsibility as a technological nation to contribute to international peace and stability.