Nvidia has reduced by more than half the number of customers in Asia authorized to buy its AI chips after introducing a whitelist of companies that passed tighter compliance checks, according to a Reuters report citing the Financial Times.
The review was carried out over recent months in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and more than half of previously approved customers, including companies described in the report as neo-cloud providers, were removed after the first screening. The report said those companies may reapply after making changes.
Nvidia’s checks were described as including data-center site visits, contract reviews and verification of end users, extending beyond standard customer screening.
The reported changes were disclosed against a broader U.S. export-control framework for advanced computing items, including Commerce Department guidance issued in May stating that a license is required for shipments to entities headquartered in China and other Country Group D:5 locations, or with ultimate parents there, even when the recipient is located outside those jurisdictions.