Media: U.S. tightens export controls on AI chips to China

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden will expand restrictions on the export of chips to China used for artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. Reuters reports.

According to unnamed sources, the Commerce Department plans to publish new requirements for exporting semiconductors in the near term.

Some sources suggested the rules could include additional measures against China. The restrictions could be widened and the document published later than expected.

People familiar with the matter say that earlier in 2022 the department sent letters to three U.S. companies — KLA Corp, Lam Research Corp and Applied Materials Inc. They were required to obtain a license to export equipment for making semiconductors at Chinese factories producing advanced chips with feature sizes below 14 nm.

Companies confirmed they had received such directives from the department.

So-called “informational” letters allow the Department of Commerce to bypass bureaucratic procedures and quickly impose controls. But in this case the restrictions would apply only to those companies that received the corresponding directive.

The emergence of general rules could broaden their reach and affect other U.S. producers of similar technologies. Potentially they could be applied against firms seeking to challenge Nvidia and AMD’s dominance in AI chips.

A senior Commerce Department official declined to comment on the forthcoming steps.

“As a rule, we strive to codify any restrictions mentioned in the information letters with regulatory changes,” he said.

Some American companies said they are keeping a close eye on developments.

According to CSIS technology expert Jim Lewis, the administration is trying to curb China’s progress in chip manufacturing, where the United States still maintains dominance.

“The United States has found that chips are a bottleneck. They [Chinese firms] cannot design them; they cannot build manufacturing equipment,” he said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also warned that export restrictions on AI chips and the tools used to manufacture them are inevitable. The department believes the rules could come before the midterm elections on November 8, 2022.

In September Nvidia and AMD received from the U.S. Department of Commerce an order, prohibiting the export of AI chips to China and Russia.

In the same month the White House revealed plans to implement the CHIPS Act, aimed at supporting the American semiconductor industry.

Subscribe to ForkLog news on Telegram: ForkLog AI — all the latest AI news!