U.S. Senators Propose Bill to Block Easing of China AI Chip Restrictions
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to prevent the Trump administration from loosening export controls that restrict China’s access to advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia and AMD. The proposal, known as the SAFE CHIPS Act, underscores growing concerns in Washington about the national security implications of allowing Beijing greater access to cutting-edge American technology.
SAFE CHIPS Act Aims to Preserve Export Limits
The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Democrat Chris Coons, would prohibit the U.S. Commerce Department from approving any licence applications allowing buyers in China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea to acquire AI chips more advanced than those currently permitted for the next 30 months. After that period, the department would be required to brief Congress 30 days before any proposed rule changes take effect.
Co-sponsored by Republican Dave McCormick and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Andy Kim, the measure reflects an unusual effort by members of former President Donald Trump’s own party to constrain his administration’s trade policies. “Denying Beijing access to the best American AI chips is essential to our national security,” Ricketts said in a statement.
Concerns Over National Security and Tech Exports
The proposal comes as the Trump administration considers approving sales of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to Chinese companies, according to Reuters. Lawmakers from both parties fear such a move could enable China to enhance its military capabilities, including the development of AI-powered weapons and advanced surveillance systems.
Washington has been locked in a technology rivalry with Beijing, intensified by China’s recent export curbs on rare earth metals vital to the global tech industry. In response, the Commerce Department imposed and later rolled back restrictions on Nvidia’s H20 chips, a decision criticised by Republican Representative John Moolenaar, who leads the House China Select Committee. Nvidia rival AMD has also expressed interest in expanding chip sales to China.
Trump has meanwhile sought to negotiate with Beijing to delay its rare earth restrictions and has pushed back by a year a rule limiting U.S. tech exports to subsidiaries of Chinese firms already under sanction. He has also pledged to scrap a Biden-era regulation that extended AI chip export controls globally to curb smuggling to China.
Analysts Call for Swift Action
Greg Allen, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the proposed legislation was a “common-sense” step to protect U.S. interests. “The only choice for America is whether or not we should sell China the technology to make their decoupling strategy fast and convenient,” he noted, urging Congress to act swiftly on the bill.
The SAFE CHIPS Act adds to mounting bipartisan efforts to maintain strict oversight of technology exports to China as the two powers vie for dominance in AI and semiconductor innovation.
with inputs from Reuters