Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry announced on Monday that, effective immediately, the export, transhipment, and transit of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips originating from the United States will require prior approval through a trade permit.
Anyone exporting, transhipping, or bringing such items into transit that are not explicitly listed on Malaysia’s strategic items register must notify authorities at least 30 days beforehand, the ministry stated.
Also read: Pakistan & Turkey to Strengthen Defence And Economic Links
This measure aims to address regulatory gaps while Malaysia reviews whether high-performance AI chips of U.S. origin should be included in its strategic items list, the ministry added.
“Malaysia firmly opposes any attempt to bypass export controls or facilitate trade activities by individuals or companies, who will face strict legal consequences if found in violation of the law.”
The Southeast Asian nation has been tightening semiconductor regulations amid US pressure to prevent chips vital for AI development from flowing to China, as reported by the Financial Times in March.
Additionally, Malaysia is investigating whether local laws were violated in the shipment of servers linked to a Singaporean fraud case, which may have contained advanced chips subject to U.S. export controls.
