US gov't preps sweeping export controls for Nvidia, AMD AI hardware — worldwide licensing system would give Trump admin broad authority to block global sales

The U.S. government is developing new export regulations that would grant it significant control over global shipments of advanced AI accelerators from companies like AMD and Nvidia. This proposed worldwide licensing system would allow the Trump administration to approve or block large-scale AI infrastructure deployments. The regulations would establish a tiered licensing system based on computing scale, with different requirements for small, mid-scale, and large-scale deployments. Companies like AMD and Nvidia would face restrictions on shipping high-performance AI processors to certain countries, while larger installations would necessitate intergovernmental arrangements and investments in American AI infrastructure. If enacted, this policy could greatly impact the global development of AI infrastructure and the operations of tech companies like AMD and Nvidia.