AMD Granted Permission to Export AI Chips to China; NVIDIA Left Out

AMD has confirmed it received a U.S. export license to ship its Instinct MI308 accelerators — units specifically modified to meet American restrictions. While NVIDIA continues to await permission to export its H20 products, AMD has already earned approval.

AMD CEO Lisa Su announced the news during the company’s quarterly results presentation. The firm said it now feels “confident about future shipments to the Chinese market,” but it has not included MI308 sales in its fourth-quarter guidance due to uneven demand and uncertainty around delivery schedules. In other words, the license is secured, but the situation remains fluid.

The MI308 is broadly comparable to NVIDIA’s H20 in capability. Both chips were designed to comply with the performance limits imposed by U.S. export controls. The primary difference is that AMD obtained authorization sooner, giving it a temporary advantage in one of the world’s largest AI markets.

NVIDIA’s hurdles are not limited to regulators; geopolitical factors are also at play as Chinese companies increasingly shift toward domestic solutions, which slows the adoption of U.S. technology. Analysts note that Beijing views both firms as transitional partners—China is pursuing full technological independence, and AMD’s licenses represent an interim gain rather than a long-term solution.

Source: iXBT.games