NVDA, AMD Reportedly Push Trump To Ease China Restrictions In Defense Bill

According to a Politico report, the companies are particularly focused on provisions tied to the AI OVERWATCH Act and are seeking changes to the Chip Security Act.

• The effort comes as lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren push for tighter restrictions on China's access to advanced AI chips.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is expected to participate in a White House AI meeting with President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson later Tuesday.
• According to Politico, Nvidia and AMD have stated that overly broad restrictions could encourage China to accelerate development of domestic AI chips while limiting the U.S. industry's access to the Chinese market.

Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are reportedly pushing the Trump administration to pressure Congress into dropping China-related chip export restrictions from the annual defense policy bill. 

According to a report by Politico, the companies want the administration to intervene directly with lawmakers to strip provisions from the National Defense Authorization Act that would tighten oversight of chip sales to China. 

NVDA stock and AMD stock edged as much as 0.8% higher in pre-market trade. Both fell in the last two sessions alongside the broader market selloff. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around Nvidia continued to trend in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, and sentiment around AMD remained in the ‘bullish’ zone. 

At the time of writing, spokespeople for Nvidia and AMD had not responded to Stocktwits' requests for comment.

Nvidia And AMD Target AI OVERWATCH

The companies' primary target is reportedly language based on the AI OVERWATCH Act, which was introduced by Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) and Senator Jim Banks (R-IN).

The AI OVERWATCH Act would codify restrictions on exports of the most advanced AI chips to countries of concern and give Congress greater oversight over the Commerce Department's export licensing process. The Senate version was included in the fiscal 2027 NDAA in July.

Industry officials have stated that some of the legislation would be difficult for chip companies to implement. Nvidia and AMD are reportedly seeking changes to the provisions rather than a broader rollback of all China-related controls.

Chipmakers Seek Changes To Chip Security Act

The AI OVERWATCH Act and Chip Security Act have been among the proposals lawmakers have sought to attach to the NDAA, alongside other measures aimed at limiting China's access to advanced AI chips and semiconductor technology.

Jensen Huang's Trump Ties Put Nvidia In Focus

The lobbying effort comes at a sensitive moment for Nvidia, with CEO Jensen Huang maintaining close ties with the Trump administration and preparing to attend a White House meeting on artificial intelligence with Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson later Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the plans cited by Politico.

Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su were also seated at the head table with Trump during the White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping last week.

Trump has previously taken a more permissive approach toward certain advanced chip sales to China, including allowing Nvidia and AMD to sell some chips to the country in exchange for a share of the resulting revenue.

That approach has drawn opposition from lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MS), who seek tighter restrictions.

Nvidia Pushes AI Expansion Alongside China Debate

The China lobbying effort comes one day after Nvidia announced a $150 billion increase to its share repurchase authorization, bringing the remaining amount under the program to $235 billion. The company said it expects to execute the remaining authorization through fiscal 2028.

Nvidia also launched its Open Agent Safety Platform on Monday, combining its OpenShell open-source software with a Sentry reference design intended to provide controls around AI agents from testing through deployment.

More than 100 organizations are participating in the initiative, including Microsoft (MSFT), Anthropic, Salesforce (CRM), Palantir Technologies (PLTR), CrowdStrike (CRWD) and JPMorganChase (JPM). Nvidia said OpenShell establishes a runtime boundary around AI agents, while Sentry can monitor agent behavior from outside the system and quarantine agents that move beyond defined boundaries.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<