After Nvidia Intel faces US export curbs on AI chips to China

Intel will now require a US export license to sell certain high-performance artificial intelligence chips, thus becoming the latest chipmaker hit by tightening American trade restrictions. Any of its chips exceeding specific bandwidth thresholds will now need licensing for export to China. The decision follows a similar move by Nvidia, which earlier this week disclosed the impact from new US rules restricting shipments of its China-focused H20 AI processor.

Intel export restrictions

According to the report, licenses will be needed if Intel’s processors feature DRAM bandwidth of 1,400 gigabytes per second or more, input/output (I/O) bandwidth of 1,100 GB per second or more or a combined total bandwidth of 1,700 GB per second or higher. These thresholds place Intel’s Gaudi series, as well as Nvidia’s H20, under these new restrictions.

The increasing regulatory scrutiny highlights a broader initiative by the U.S. government to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors and AI-enabling technologies, which Washington views as having potential military uses.

The announcement added further pressure to the semiconductor sector. Intel’s shares closed down more than 3 percent on Wednesday, as investors reacted to rising uncertainty over future chip exports and the Biden administration’s evolving trade policies.

The update comes amid growing concern among chipmakers and investors over the impact of geopolitical tensions on the global semiconductor supply chain. Alongside Intel and Nvidia, Dutch chip equipment maker ASML also issued a cautious outlook on the same day, signaling broader disruption across the industry.