The U.S. government will allow foreign corporations to participate in the "U.S.-made AI export program," which it is pursuing to maintain U.S. dominance in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. It is seen as reflecting the content of opinions submitted last year by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.
According to the Federal Register on the 16th (local time), the International Trade Administration (ITA) of the Department of Commerce announced a call for proposals from an industry consortium for the "full-stack U.S. AI package," saying foreign corporations can also join the consortium.
The notice specifically said foreign corporations that provide the highest-value products or services in the hardware and infrastructure institutional sector and the AI model and system institutional sector, and that contribute to the U.S. national interest, may be designated as "national champion enterprises" (NCE).
Accordingly, leading Korean corporations such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, which supply high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Nvidia's AI chips, will not only be able to participate in the program,
but also seek NCE designation in the hardware and infrastructure institutional sector. Earlier, President Donald Trump, through an executive order in Jul. last year, said the "U.S.-made AI export program" should be encouraged, prioritizing a thoroughly U.S.-centric approach such as "U.S.-made AI technology," "manufacturing in the U.S.," and "global adoption of U.S. AI technology, standards, and governance."
However, in this ITA notice, opening the door to participation by foreign corporations from allied nations appears to strengthen strategic flexibility.
This shift is presumed to be based on the judgment that participation by allied corporations, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, is necessary to maintain U.S. AI dominance.
However, the ITA also specified several restrictions on participation by foreign corporations. Only U.S. companies can serve as the consortium's anchor corporations, and to be recognized as contributing to the U.S. national interest in the hardware and infrastructure institutional sector, a condition was imposed that the U.S.-origin content value, including parts, must be 51% or higher.
In the data and security institutional sector, participation by corporations related to countries of concern, including China, was prohibited.
Accordingly, participating in this program would offer an opportunity to enter the U.S.-led AI supply chain early and expand exports, while compliance with U.S. export controls and other standards is expected to place a considerable burden on China-related businesses.
Samsung Electronics submitted formal opinions to the Department of Commerce in Dec. last year, proposing, "U.S. corporations will lead the consortium, but a successful program will require participation by long-standing allies like Korea and trusted corporations like Samsung."
SK Group also conveyed the view that "participation by allied corporations is essential to securing best-in-class technological competitiveness across the AI stack."