Approvals for Nvidia and AMD AI chip exports to China stall under government bottleneck — 20% staff turnover hobbles Bureau of Industry and Security

Staffing shortages at the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security have led to significant delays in approving exports of AI chips from Nvidia and AMD to China. The bureau has experienced a 19% reduction in employees, with turnover rates nearing 20%, causing approval times to stretch into months. The delays are impacting chipmakers' ability to export products, with Nvidia failing to sell any H200 chips to China despite receiving clearance from the White House. The situation is exacerbated by the bureau's involvement in complex Middle East licensing requirements, further prolonging processing times for export applications.