Nvidia, AMD ramp up White House lobbying on China exports

Nvidia and AMD have dramatically escalated their lobbying operations at the White House, targeting the export control framework that determines which AI chips can legally be sold into China.

From $640K to $3.5M: the lobbying math

Nvidia’s investment in Washington influence tells the story clearly. The company spent nearly $3.5 million on lobbying in the first three quarters of 2025 alone, compared to $640,000 for the entirety of 2024. That is roughly a fivefold increase in spending pace, directed largely at softening export restrictions on chips like the H20 and H200.

AMD has pursued a parallel track, pushing for export access to its MI308 and MI325X chips while CEO Lisa Su conducted her own diplomatic outreach in China.

Both companies have been negotiating for case-by-case export licenses rather than blanket bans. At one point, Nvidia agreed to share 15% of its China sales revenue with the US government starting in 2025, a figure that later climbed in discussions to 25% for specific H200 shipments.

Jensen Huang becomes a Washington fixture

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has engaged directly with the Trump administration, including meetings with President Trump, positioning himself as a bridge between the commercial interests of the chip industry and the administration’s broader AI ambitions. By September 2026, Huang had reportedly become one of Trump’s most influential advisors on AI policy.

Congressional pushback and what comes next

Congressional opposition to Nvidia’s export permits has intensified through 2026, with proposed legislation aimed at requiring greater oversight of chip export licenses and establishing priority access for US buyers before foreign sales are approved. Several of those legislative efforts have stalled, partly due to opposition from industry players and resistance within the White House itself.

Export controls have already cut deeply into Nvidia’s share of China’s advanced AI chip market, and competitors with fewer US ties have moved to fill that gap.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.