U.S. Commerce Department Withdraws Proposed AI Chip Export Rule, Policy Reversal Draws Attention

On March 14, the U.S. Commerce Department withdrew a proposed rule on AI chip exports. The draft rule, which aimed to regulate global access to AI chips and had been sent to other agencies for comments in late February, had its withdrawal reason undisclosed, and the spokesperson did not respond to comment requests. This withdrawal marks a setback for the Trump administration in revoking and replacing the AI chip export framework issued by the Biden administration in January 2025. A former official analyzed that this likely reflects internal government divisions on achieving global AI dominance and addressing national security concerns.