United States has imposed restrictions on Huawei, declaring that the use of its Ascend AI chips anywhere in the world violates U.S. export controls.
The announcement, issued by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), that reinforces existing laws that prohibit the use of U.S. technology by blacklisted entities without proper licensing.
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Huawei’s Ascend chips —specifically the 910B, 910C, and 910D—are now under strict scrutiny. The BIS stated that these chips were likely designed or manufactured using U.S.-origin technology, making them subject to export restrictions.
The move comes amid growing concerns over China’s rapid growth in AI and semiconductor development, with Huawei ramping up production of AI chip clusters in China.
Chinese companies demanding Huawei’s chips as alternatives to Nvidia products, especially after U.S. sanctions. The last sanction was imposed in November 2021 where President Joe Biden signed the Secure Equipment Act to prevent companies like Huawei from receiving new equipment licenses from U.S. regulators.
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Despite these sanctions, Huawei has continued todevelop its own tech, unveiling new AI chips and smartphone processors. However, the U.S. government remains strong in its stance, warning that companies using Huawei’s AI chips risk violating export laws and facing severe penalties. The move is expected to further spark U.S.-China relations, as Beijing has repeatedly condemned United States actions as “technological hegemony”.