Trump halts Emcore-HieFo deal, citing national security concerns

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday blocking HieFo Corp.’s acquisition of semiconductor-related assets from Emcore Corp., citing national security concerns as the reason.

Stating that HieFo—a Delaware-based company—was formed and is controlled by a Chinese citizen, the order targets the firm’s planned acquisition of Emcore assets related to digital chips and associated wafer design, fabrication, and processing operations, the White House said.

In 2024, the companies said they completed a $2.92 million sale of Emcore’s New Jersey–based chip business and indium phosphide wafer fabrication operations.

The deal “threatens to impair the national security of the United States," the order noted, marking the administration’s latest effort to curb Chinese access to advanced semiconductor technologies.

It requires HieFo to divest within 180 days unless the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States—a federal panel that reviews transactions involving US companies for national security risks—grants an extension.