The US has sought to maintain its sovereignty in AI, citing national security concerns and financial motivations.

Nvidia and AMD have agreed to pay the US government 15% of their revenues from semiconductor sales to China in exchange for export licenses, an unprecedented quid pro quo arrangement aimed at solidifying America’s AI business dominance while maintaining trade ties with China.

The arrangement crafted by the Trump administration is “unusual,” analysts told CNBC, but underscores the transactional nature of the current White House leader.