Malaysia will now require companies and individuals to obtain a trade permit before exporting, transshipping, or transiting high-performance artificial intelligence chips of U.S. origin, the trade ministry said on Monday.
The new rule takes effect immediately. Affected parties must notify authorities at least 30 days in advance if they plan to move any item not already listed on Malaysia’s strategic items list.
The ministry said the measure is meant to close regulatory gaps while officials review whether to add U.S.-made AI chips to the list.
Malaysia said it will take legal action against any person or company found trying to bypass export controls or involved in illegal trade.
The country has been working to tighten rules on semiconductors amid pressure from the United States to prevent advanced chips from reaching China.
Earlier this year, Malaysia began investigating whether local laws were broken in the shipment of servers tied to a fraud case in Singapore. The servers may have contained advanced chips subject to U.S. export restrictions.
