US Government Tightens Anti-Chip Measures

The Biden administration is announcing a new chapter in the “chip war”: the goal is to prevent the export of cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips to China, including all those made by Nvidia and Intel.

The goal would be to prevent Beijing from acquiring advanced technology that could also be used for military purposes. These new restrictions that were announced on October 17 implement and complement measures introduced in October and will then be updated annually.

The measures will come into force in a month and apply to a wide range of microprocessors and equipment used for their production. The new rules also expand the range of countries subject to restrictions, including Iran and Russia.

As reported by Reuters, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the goal is to limit China’s access to “advanced semiconductors that could enable breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and complex computing critical to military applications.” Raimondo also clarified that the administration “is not trying to harm Beijing economically,” adding that “China will continue to import hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. semiconductors.”

The answer came through a Chinese embassy spokesman, who explained how “arbitrarily imposing restrictions or violently seeking secession for the sake of a political agenda violates the principles of market economy and fair competition, as well as undermines the international economic and trade order.”