The two parties in the United States plan to legislate to prohibit NVIDIA from exporting AI chips to China, with senators stating that national security is of utmost importance
The two parties in the United States plan to legislate to prohibit NVIDIA from exporting AI chips to China, citing national security as crucial. The bill requires the Department of Commerce to stop issuing chip export licenses to China and Russia. Senators believe this move will help maintain the United States' advantage in the AI field. NVIDIA has discussed export controls with U.S. government officials
According to Bloomberg, both the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States plan to introduce legislation that will prohibit NVIDIA (NVDA) from exporting advanced artificial intelligence chips to China.
The bill, named the Secure and Feasible Exports Act (SAFE Act), will order the Department of Commerce to stop issuing chip sales export licenses to competitors, including China and Russia, for at least 30 months. Any chip that is more powerful than processors already approved for export to these countries will be subject to this measure, including chips from AMD and Alphabet's Google.
Proposed Ban on H200 and Blackwell
Reports indicate that key Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee support this legislation, stating it will effectively prohibit NVIDIA from selling its H200 AI chips or more advanced Blackwell products to Chinese customers. Republican Senator Pete Ricketts stated that the bill is crucial for maintaining the United States' advantage over China in the field of artificial intelligence. He said in a statement, "The best AI chips are made by American companies. Denying Beijing access to these AI chips is vital to our national security."
The emergence of the Secure and Feasible Exports Act comes a day after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang met behind closed doors with Republican members of the Senate Banking Committee, which has jurisdiction over export control plans. Huang also had a private meeting with U.S. President Trump on Wednesday, where NVIDIA stated they discussed export controls but declined to provide specific details.
In response to the Secure and Feasible Exports Act, an NVIDIA spokesperson stated that, as the President's AI action plan wisely recognizes, non-military companies around the world should be able to choose American technology, promoting U.S. jobs and enhancing national security
