Nvidia, AMD Seek China AI-Chip Access as U.S. Rules Shift
Both chipmakers have sought or obtained licenses for China-specific products as Washington moves toward case-by-case reviews with security conditions.
Nvidia and AMD are seeking or have obtained licenses for China-specific artificial intelligence chips as the United States shifts from broader export restrictions toward individual reviews tied to security conditions.
Nvidia spent $940,000 on lobbying from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2025, and $1.46 million from July 1 through Sept. 30. The activity covered trade, artificial intelligence, semiconductor design and fabrication, and defense issues, with contacts involving Congress, the Commerce Department, the National Security Council, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council.
The figures document Nvidia’s federal engagement but do not establish a White House-specific increase for both companies.
The export restrictions have produced multibillion-dollar costs. On April 9, 2025, Nvidia was informed that a license was required to export its H20 chips to China, Hong Kong, Macau and certain other destinations. Nvidia recorded a $4.5 billion charge tied to H20 inventory and purchase obligations.
The U.S. government was expected to receive 15% of revenue from licensed H20 sales, although no regulation had codified that requirement. Nvidia had no H20 sales to China-based customers during the quarter ended July 27, 2025.
AMD’s MI308 products were also affected by the April 2025 licensing requirement. AMD’s 2025 inventory and related charges were approximately $440 million in a 2026 filing. The company received licenses to ship MI308 products to certain China-based customers and began shipping at the end of fiscal 2025. Some licenses for AMD’s MI325 products were granted in February 2026.
AMD also incurred approximately $800 million in inventory and related charges during the second quarter of 2025, then reversed approximately $360 million after MI308 shipments began in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.
The policy does not broadly reopen China’s market; shipments remain subject to conditions and individual review. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced Jan. 13, 2026, that applications for Nvidia’s H200, AMD’s MI325X and similar chips would be reviewed individually.
Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed shipments will not constrain the supply of semiconductors for U.S. customers. Chinese buyers must have export-compliance procedures, and the products must pass independent testing in the United States.
“Export controls should evolve with changes in technology, while protecting national security. Permitting the sale of the H200 to China under controlled conditions will strengthen the American technology ecosystem,” Under Secretary for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler said.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang said, “General-purpose, open-source research and foundation models are the backbone of AI innovation.” U.S. controls apply to certain advanced AI chips shipped to China and other designated destinations based on technical measures including processing performance, memory bandwidth and interconnect bandwidth.
Licenses may remain limited, delayed or unavailable.
