U.S. export approvals are stalling
Approvals for Nvidia and AMD AI‑chip exports to China are reportedly slowing because the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security has lost nearly a fifth of its licensing staff, forcing senior officials to sign off on many licenses. That administrative backlog is creating practical delays for shipments even where policy hasn't changed. (tomshardware.com)
U.S. approvals for Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices artificial-intelligence chip exports are stretching into months as the Commerce Department’s export-control office loses staff and piles more reviews onto top officials. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg reported on April 10 that the Bureau of Industry and Security has shed 101 employees since 2024, a 19% drop, based on Office of Personnel Management figures, LinkedIn profile changes and agency records. The same report said Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler is personally examining nearly every license application. (bloomberg.com) The slowdown hits shipments to China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to Bloomberg, even though the White House spent the past year building channels to allow some sales under license. Reuters reported in August 2025 that thousands of export applications across industries were already stuck in limbo at the same bureau. (bloomberg.com) (reuters.com) These are not routine consumer chips. The Bureau of Industry and Security reviews exports of high-end processors because the same chips used to train chatbots and image generators can also support military and surveillance systems. (bis.gov) (reuters.com) Policy has also shifted fast. On January 13, 2026, the Bureau of Industry and Security said Nvidia H200 chips, Advanced Micro Devices MI325X chips and similar products for China would move to case-by-case review instead of a blanket presumption of denial, provided security conditions were met. (bis.gov) That change created a larger practical burden for licensing staff, because more shipments could be considered individually instead of rejected under a standing rule. Bloomberg said processed licenses have fallen about 25% as reviews lengthen and senior officials take tighter control. (bloomberg.com) The bureau handled nearly 38,000 applications in fiscal 2023 and averaged 38 days per case, according to its latest annual report to Congress. That report predates the current staffing losses and the new wave of artificial-intelligence chip reviews. (bis.gov) The commercial stakes are large because China remains one of Nvidia’s biggest overseas markets even after earlier restrictions. Reuters reported this month that Chinese chipmakers captured about 41% of China’s artificial-intelligence accelerator server market in 2025, cutting into Nvidia’s position as U.S. controls tightened. (reuters.com) Neither Nvidia nor Advanced Micro Devices controls the approval queue once an application reaches Washington. For now, the rulebook allows some sales, but the bottleneck sits at the desk where the signatures are supposed to happen. (bloomberg.com)
