US drafts a rule requiring licenses for AI chip exports worldwide; Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) shipments to all countries would need US approval

• The specific approval process would depend on how much computing power a company wants, said the sources. 
• Shipments of up to 1,000 of Nvidia’s latest GB300 GPUs would reportedly undergo a fairly simple review with certain exemption opportunities. 
• Companies building bigger clusters would need pre-clearance before seeking export license; may have to disclose their business models or allow US government site visits.
• For truly massive deployments  (>200k of Nvidia’s GB300 GPUs owned by one company, in one country), the host government would have to get involved. 
• The US would only approve such exports to allies that make stringent security promises and “matching” investments in American AI, the sources said, noting that the draft rule doesn’t specify an investment ratio. 

The draft rule requiring licenses for AI chip exports signals a significant regulatory tightening on the semiconductor industry, particularly affecting key players like Nvidia and AMD. This move aims to control the flow of advanced technology to ensure national security, and could lead to increased scrutiny and delays for companies wishing to scale up their AI capabilities internationally. Expect this to create a more complex landscape for tech exports and further influence market sentiment around US semiconductor firms.