TMTPOST -- Intel has notified its Chinese customers that it will need a U.S. government license to export certain advanced artificial intelligence chips, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, signaling a fresh wave of export curbs from Washington targeting China’s tech ambitions. The move adds to growing pressure on the semiconductor sector. Just a day earlier, Nvidia warned of a potential $5.5 billion revenue hit due to new U.S. restrictions on its China-focused AI chips. Dutch chip equipment maker ASML also flagged uncertainty in its outlook amid the tightening regulatory environment. Under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Intel reportedly told clients last week that a license would be required for any AI processors exceeding specific performance thresholds: a DRAM bandwidth of 1,400 gigabytes per second (GB/s), I/O bandwidth of 1,100 GB/s, or a combined total bandwidth of 1,700 GB/s or more. The notification underscores Washington’s continued efforts to limit China’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, as the AI race intensifies between the world’s two largest economies.