The United States has announced new export controls, restricting exports to China of high-bandwidth memory(HBM) chips used in artificial intelligence(AI).

The Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Commerce Department said Monday that certain HBM chips have been added to the list of items subject to U.S. export controls.
 
HBM technology is used in AI and is a key component of advanced computing integrated circuits.

Reuters said the targeted chips are HBM 2 and higher, made by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as well as by U.S.-based Micron Technology.

Reuters said industry sources expect only Samsung to be affected by the new restrictions, as China accounts for an estimated 30 percent of the company’s HBM chip sales.

China objected strongly to the new chip restrictions, criticizing the U.S. move as economic coercion and saying it seriously threatens global supply chains.

Under the Commerce Department's Foreign Direct Product Rules, even if a product is made in a country other than the United States, the manufacturer must comply with the export controls if it uses American software, equipment or technology.