The US has approved several billion dollars’ worth of Nvidia Corp. chip exports to American customers including Oracle Corp. for use in projects in the United Arab Emirates, an initial step in implementing a controversial deal that could serve as a blueprint for President Donald Trump’s AI statecraft.

According to a rumor that circulated online in September 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration sold hundreds of thousands of highly sensitive AI microchips to the United Arab Emirates in exchange for a $2 billion bribe to Trump.

The Trump administration and Saudi Arabia are making progress on an agreement to allow U.S. chip companies to export semiconductors to the Gulf nation and could finalize a deal soon, people familiar with the matter said.

White House weighs tariffs tied to a 1:1 balance between US-made and imported chips, aiming to cut foreign reliance and test Trump’s truce with tech.

The chipmaker was worried that the Trump administration would take back $2.2 billion the government had already paid.

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering imposing tariffs on foreign electronic devices based on the number of chips in each one, according to three people familiar with the matter, as it seeks to drive companies to shift manufacturing to the United States.

Semiconductor industry leaders are warning the Trump administration that a proposed tightening of visa rules risks shrinking a vital talent pool and undermining efforts to expand chip manufacturing in the US.

The struggling American chipmaker is betting that a new plant and fresh product line will help turn around its fortunes.