WASHINGTON, March 5, 2026, 17:04 EST
U.S. regulators are considering a fresh set of export rules for artificial-intelligence chips, a move that might extend licensing requirements to Advanced Micro Devices. Under the proposal, foreign governments seeking to buy substantial quantities of AI chips could be required to invest in U.S. data centers or provide security assurances. Such changes would put the spotlight back on a business AMD has been eager to grow.
The timing is notable: this marks the first move to regulate chip exports to U.S. allies and partners since the Trump administration ditched Biden’s AI diffusion rule in May. Meanwhile, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta are on track to pour over $600 billion into AI infrastructure this year. AMD, for its part, is looking to seize more supply deals with major names like Meta and OpenAI.
Reuters reviewed a document indicating that licenses might be required for shipments under 1,000 chips. For an exemption, chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD must track their products, while buyers would have to use software designed to block the chips from forming clusters—industry shorthand for combining chips into a single, powerful group.
The news comes less than two weeks after AMD inked a deal to supply Meta with up to $60 billion in AI chips over five years. “Meta is making a big bet on AMD,” CEO Lisa Su said at the time of the announcement. Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, noted that Meta is “locking in supply” and also reducing its reliance on a single supplier. Reuters
AMD isn’t the only one in the mix. The draft also lists Nvidia and Intel, and according to the Financial Times, Nvidia has already halted production of H200 chips intended for China, redirecting TSMC resources to its Vera Rubin line. Reuters was unable to independently confirm that report.
Conditions are getting tougher. On Thursday, China unveiled a five-year blueprint calling for a big AI push and “hyper-scale” computing clusters. The plan aims to drive AI into all corners of the economy. Kyle Chan, a Chinese technology fellow at Brookings, pointed out that Beijing’s looking to boost productivity in manufacturing, logistics, education, and healthcare with AI and robotics. Reuters
Biden’s AI diffusion rule from January 2025 didn’t come out of thin air. The policy carved the globe into three groups: 18 top allies faced no restrictions, around 120 other nations got export caps, and China, Russia, Iran, plus North Korea were locked out entirely. Commerce pulled the rule in May, promising a new version soon. At the time, Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffery Kessler talked up a “bold, inclusive strategy” with partners the U.S. trusts, while aiming to keep advanced tech away from rivals. Reuters
The draft isn’t set in stone—there’s room for changes. Requests for comment were left hanging by the White House, Commerce Department, AMD, and Nvidia. Enforcement has been shaky before; back in January, Seaport Research’s Jay Goldberg called the Nvidia China sales limits a “Band-Aid,” warning they’d be tough to enforce. Reuters
AMD has felt the sting of export restrictions before. Back in April 2025, the company warned that tighter China licensing rules targeting its MI308 chips might lead to as much as $800 million in charges. China accounted for roughly $6.23 billion in revenue for AMD in 2024, more than 24% of its total sales that year, making it the company’s second-biggest market, Reuters calculated from AMD’s filings.
AMD, which trails Nvidia in the AI chip market, faces a potential export rule that could affect not just business in China but also limit which foreign customers can even assemble sizable AI setups using its hardware. The stakes are rising as appetite for these chips keeps growing, and supply is being pulled further into the policy arena.
