April 17, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — AMD said it could face a financial impact of up to $800 million due to new U.S. export restrictions on high-end chips, signaling growing challenges for AI chipmakers amid intensifying U.S.-China tech tensions.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, AMD disclosed that its MI308 AI accelerator has been added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s list of controlled items. The company must now obtain an export license before shipping this product to China and other designated regions. AMD said it will apply for the license but warned that "there is no assurance that it will be granted."

The restrictions could significantly affect AMD’s inventory, purchase commitments, and financial reserves. China was AMD’s second-largest market in 2024, generating $6.23 billion in revenue—over 24% of its total sales. The new rules threaten to curtail the company’s growth prospects in one of its most important regions.

Nvidia, AMD’s main rival, also disclosed this week a $5.5 billion hit to quarterly revenue, citing delayed exports of its H20 AI chips. According to its annual report, China ranks as Nvidia’s fourth-largest market after the U.S., Singapore, and Taiwan.

Industry analysts note that no U.S. licenses have yet been approved for GPU exports to China, raising uncertainty about the future of AI hardware sales under expanding regulatory scrutiny.