Intel tested chipmaking equipment this year from a supplier with strong ties to China and two overseas affiliates previously hit by U.S. sanctions, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The tools came from ACM Research, a Fremont, California-based manufacturer, as Intel faced pressure in August when President Donald Trump urged the resignation of its CEO over alleged links to China.

National Security Concerns

Two of ACM’s units, based in Shanghai and South Korea, were among a number of firms barred last year from receiving U.S. technology over claims they have supported the Chinese government’s efforts at harnessing commercial technology for military use and making advanced chips or chipmaking tools.

The two so-called wet etch tools, used for removing material from the silicon

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