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US surprises Nvidia by speeding up new AI chip export ban

Oct 24, 2023 - arstechnica.com
Nvidia, the chip designer, has announced that new US export restrictions on its high-end AI GPU chips to China are now in effect earlier than anticipated. The restrictions, designed to prevent China, Iran, and Russia from acquiring advanced AI chips, were initially set to take effect 30 days after their October 17 announcement. The banned chips are advanced GPUs used for training and running deep learning AI applications. In response to the initial ban announced in September 2022, Nvidia released new chips, the A800 and H800, to comply with the export rules for the Chinese market. However, the recent curbs specifically halt the exports of these modified Nvidia AI chips.

Despite the restrictions, Nvidia does not foresee a near-term financial impact. The US Commerce Department has extended special authorizations for major foreign chip makers, such as SK Hynix, Samsung, and TSMC, to receive crucial US chipmaking tools for their plants in China. TSMC is seeking permanent US authorization for its China operations, while Samsung and SK Hynix can indefinitely supply US chip equipment to their China plants without separate US approvals.

Key takeaways:

  • New US export restrictions on Nvidia's high-end AI GPU chips to China have come into effect sooner than expected, preventing China, Iran, and Russia from acquiring advanced AI chips.
  • Nvidia had designed and released new chips, the A800 and H800, to comply with the initial export rules for the Chinese market. However, the new curbs specifically halt the exports of these modified Nvidia AI chips, including the A100, H100, and L40S chips.
  • Nvidia does not anticipate a near-term financial impact from the move due to the strong demand for its products worldwide.
  • The US Commerce Department has extended special authorizations for major foreign chip makers, such as SK Hynix, Samsung, and TSMC, to receive crucial US chipmaking tools for their plants in China, in an attempt to mitigate the effects of last year's chip bans.
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