Biden administration imposes sweeping semiconductor export controls blocking China from advanced

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issues the most comprehensive US export controls in decades, blocking China from obtaining advanced semiconductors above certain thresholds and barring US persons from supporting Chinese chip production without licenses. The rules target chips used in AI training — particularly Nvidia's A100 and H100 GPUs — and the equipment used to manufacture them. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo calls it "protecting our national security." Chinese government officials condemn the restrictions as "technological terrorism." The rules immediately cut off SMIC and other Chinese fabs from American equipment and force Nvidia to design China-specific, lower-capability chips.